


When All Other Lights Go Out

by KyMarie0801



Series: By All The Stars Of Heaven [1]
Category: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, An AU of an AU, Angst with a Happy Ending, Any warning tags will be in the chapter's starting notes, Ardyn is... Ardyn, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotionally Repressed, Episode Ignis Verse 2, F/M, He's gonna be cool, I PROMISE IT'LL END UP OKAY YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO TRUST ME FOR A WHILE., I made a character, Iggy in love, M/M, Mentions of Unhealthy Habbits, Mind Control, Noctis and Ignis need to admit feelings, Oh god, Old Magic, Original Character(s), Rating May Change, Ravus surprised me, Reincarnation, Slow Burn, Someone hug Ravus the poor boy, Starts angsty, Tags May Change, Temporary Character Death, Ugh, blind! ignis, fluffy sex, i tried to be romantic, ignis is not okay, im so mean to my characters guys, it will end happy i promise, meaning he's still a skin bag full of demons, non canon-typical violence, ohhhhhhh boy, poor ravus, we've got some feels coming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-25 15:22:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 46
Words: 105,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14381463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyMarie0801/pseuds/KyMarie0801
Summary: "It wasn’t for Ignis’s sake, it wasn’t for the world’s sake either. It was for him. Always for him. His charge. His brother. His friend. His Noctis."The Gods are often harsh to those who wear the Ring of the Lucii, especially those not of royal blood. When Ignis claims the power of the ring to best Ardyn and save his prince, the Gods spare his life and instead appoint him with a task: to find the God's Remnant and use its power to destroy the Scourge that plagues their star for good. Do this, and both the king and his advisor shall live. Fail, and the whole world will pay.





	1. 1

   Ardyn Izunia tumbled forward before darkness enshrouded his form, whisking him away into the ether. Ignis’s limbs hurt from the fight, and his hand burned where the Ring of the Lucii rested. Despite the victory of the battle, however, he had not won the war.

   Ardyn would only ever truly die if both his body and spirit were destroyed, and even with the power of kings past, Ignis could not reach him now. His vision blurred as the ground rushed up to meet him, silence echoing across the earthy chamber. The burning sensation that ripped at the tendons of his hand intensified, spreading through him, searing his nerves and making his eyes screw shut in pain. He could bear it. He _had_ to bear it. He had to do this, had to carry the agony of power and the wrath of the Six. It wasn’t for Ignis’s sake, it wasn’t for the world’s sake either. It was for _him_. Always for him. His charge. His brother. His friend. His Noctis.

 _“I won’t let you take him away!”_ His own words echoed in his mind, cutting through the pain and giving a sense of morbid clarity.  

   “I don’t want to die without him,” he whispered, the words like fire in his mouth.

 _“A blood price must be paid.”_ The voice, booming and world shattering, yet hardly more than a whisper raced through his mind. Bahamut. The world around him faded away to the blue haze of another realm, the shifting forms of five Gods looming above, marred only by the scorch where the Infernian once stood.

   “If it will save him, I will gladly die and pay that price. I only wish he was here, to- to say goodbye.”

_“Your sacrifice has earned you the respect of Gods, young one. This is a gift that does not come easily. A price will be paid for the power you have gained, but your life shall not end this day. You will serve a purpose yet.”_

   “I don’t understand,” Ignis mumbled. “The blood price…”

 _“Shall be paid by those whose blood it requires.”_ This voice was different, softer, and more serene. The soft chill of her words indicated the Galician had joined the conversation, his eyes unable to discern whose voice went with which almost-body.

 _"You have gained the favor of the Gods, Ignis,”_ She continued. “ _This power is both a blessing and a curse. You will live today, and every day hence, until the time comes for Light to stand against Darkness. Should the God’s Remnant stand by your side when the time comes, both you and Noctis shall be spared. If not, the cost of power will fall to you_ and _your friends. If the Chosen King is to live, the Remnant must stand against the Star Scourge in his place. Find the Remnant. Save yourself. Save your king. This is your task, demanded of you by the Six Themselves. Find He who will be your Light, even when all other lights wither and die. Now, go.”_

   The blue light spiraled away, and Ignis slid away into unconsciousness.

***

   He was shaking. Or was he being shaken? Disorientation curled around his thoughts as muted sounds slowly filtered through his ears. How long had he been laying there? He eyes were so heavy, but he pushed them to open, even if only a little so he could try to make sense of the world around him.

   “-gnis! Can you hear me?!” He would recognize that voice anywhere, regardless of how dark the chamber had become in the time he lay stranded alone.

   The burning was gone, the ring sitting cool against his skin. Blackness lay thick across the room, hiding the face of his beloved prince- no- his king who so desperately called out for a response. Where had the light from the crystal gone?

   “Noctis,” the older man coughed, smiling when sighs of relief swept down from his comrades. “How did you find me?” He had traveled far when playing coy with the chancellor, the imperial ship gliding them to Nifelhiem in what seemed like almost no time at all. The fact that they’d caught up so quickly made him proud.

   “Ravus helped us, if you can believe it,” Noctis said, his hand curling around Ignis’s bicep, pulling him up into a sitting position.  Hands brushed over his shoulders, smoothing his wayward hair as they pulled him close to a body. The hemming of a shirt indicated it was Noctis’s arms around him. His face nestled into the crook of the royal’s neck, the tremors giving away the fear both held and the darkness hid. “What were you thinking, running off alone like that? And what-“ Ignis felt more than heard Noctis suck in a sharp breath as the younger man gripped the wrist of the hand that bore his ring. “What _the hell_ is this?! You put it on?!” Fingers wrestled with his as his charge pulled the ring away.

   “Are you alright Iggy?” That would be Prompto, his shrill and fearful voice coming from behind and above them. “That thing is pretty dangerous to anybody except Noct.”

   “Shaken, but otherwise none the worse for wear.” He allowed Noctis to hold him a moment longer, the feeling of the young king’s hands grounding out the memory of his battle, the Gods, and the visions the ring had given him. He wasn’t by any stretch “alright”, but he could be. He was alive, Noctis was alive. They were all here. Alive.

   Bahamut and Shiva’s words bubbled in the back of his mind. The Remnant. What did that mean? Where would be the best place to begin his search? Bahamut made it sound like an object, but Shiva’s identified a person. He’d never heard of anything like that in all the years of listening to sermons and speeches about the Gods. Where to start looking…

   His prince finally loosened his grip on the advisor, shifting to pull them both to their feet. Ignis stumbled for a moment, the darkness still disorienting and oppressive.

   “Let’s get out of here,” Gladio huffed. “Place gives me the creeps.”

   “It’s just a small matter of finding wherever you got in I suppose,” Ignis chuckled, running a hand through his now thoroughly messy hair and pushing it back from his eyes. “I can’t imagine how you navigated through the dark. Where are your lights?”

   “Iggy?” Prompto again, this time from the left. He sounded as confused as Ignis felt, which was far more than he would have liked.

   “Ignis,” came Gladio’s voice, just moments before his hand locked down on one side of his head and around his chin. “Keep still and look ahead.” The tone left no room for argument, so Ignis stood there, dutifully unmoving and kept his eyes locked forward.

   “What are you doing,” he finally asked after a few minutes. His jaw was starting to ache from the hard press of the shield’s fingers, and he couldn’t fathom why he would need to stand waiting like this in the dark for nothing. The hand released and footsteps retreated, before soft mumbling was heard to the side, too quiet for him to hear clearly.

   A sniffling sound was all that answered him. Multiple sniffles, from multiple men.

   “Ignis,” Gladio sighed, his voice choked with tears the advisor couldn’t see. “It’s not exactly sunshine down here, but your eyes aren’t reacting to light _at all_.”

   “You idiot,” Noctis cried softly. “All that brain power, how could you do something so _stupid_? You know what the ring does to the people who aren’t royal blood. Gods, how could I have let this happen…”

   “Noct-“

   “Shut it, Ignis,” Gladio interjected. “He’s right. This is our fault. We should have stuck together.”

   “What kind of leader am I if I can’t even protect the ones I love?” Noctis sounded on the verge of collapse. Ignis’s hands reached out towards the sound, clawing in the dark and finding nothing. The weeping continued. “It’s all my fault.”

   Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. It was dark, so very dark, and it shouldn’t be. The others didn’t have lights because they didn’t need them. He was the only one lost in the inky blackness because- because- oh Gods…

   He was blind.


	2. 2

   He didn’t like not being able to see the road. While he had no doubt that Ravus was an expertly learned driver, the inability to tell what was coming didn’t sit well with him. Each bump was a shock, and a sharp reminder that his eyes no longer functioned.

   “We’re nearly to the landing yard. My airship will be waiting there for us,” said the white-haired man. “With Izunia indisposed, they shouldn’t require me to do any extra security checks.”

   A royal tomb rested somewhere on the other side of the mountain pass, resting untouched for eons before the empire had stumbled upon it in search for minerals to run their magitech engines. Noctis had requested they stop there before leaving Nifelhiem. The ship would take them over the peaks, where Ravus would once again pile them into his personal vehicle and drive to the entrance, although he had made it very clear that it would take time to cross the mountains and he wasn’t going down to the actual grave with them.

   As the car hummed along the road, Ignis reached up a hand to feel the roof in a vain attempt to ground himself. Jitters settled in under his skin as his fingers roamed the soft lining above, their owner suddenly feeling very trapped and claustrophobic.

   “ _This is both a blessing, and a curse. A price will be paid for the power you have gained.”_ The Gods had claimed his eyesight in exchange for- for what exactly? He felt no different, save for the desperation brought on by endless darkness. He did not have power coursing through him as he did when fighting Ardyn.

   And the Remnant.

   In the hours since leaving the compound Ardyn had made into his base, that one little part was still no closer to making sense in Ignis’s brain. He was blind, confused, and frustrated beyond belief.

   Or maybe not. Maybe it was entirely believable. Maybe he had every right to be confused and bitter and angry. He’d made a deal to die in Noctis’s place, not become a puppet on a string. If this Remnant was so important then why didn’t the Gods just step in and fetch it for themselves? If they cared about the world then why weren’t they striving to protect it?

   His fingernails were digging into the flesh of his palms, his hands shaking with the violent emotions coursing through him, but he forced his expression to stay neutral. He wanted to scream, to thrash and yell and curse the Gods for using him as a scapegoat. Why should he be the one to suffer for their neglect? Why did Noctis have to be the one to bear the weight of protecting literally the _entire world_ on his shoulders? Noctis was only twenty years old, and Ignis only a few years his senior!

   They were barely adults, so why were they the ones who had to act like battle-scarred war veterans?

_It wasn’t fair._

***

   The airship had enough space for Ignis to tuck himself alone in a room, after promising Prompto to call for assistance if he needed anything. He knew the blond wanted to help, and his intentions were sweet and kindhearted, but Ignis had never been one to admit needing aid. Besides, he needed a while alone to let himself crack and crumble under the weight of change so he could put the pieces back together and pretend he was fine. He didn’t have time to sit down and puzzle out his feelings; Noctis needed him. So, this small reprieve would have to suffice for now.

   It started with the shaking, first in his hands then his whole body. Tears pressed hotly against his unseeing eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He did not need to cry. Crying was weak, and solved nothing. He was not weak; he was the advisor of an almost-king. Advisors listened to reason before emotion and stood strong when their charges needed them. Noctis needed him, so he would not cry.

  He would stand, hands clenched at his sides and will himself to forget his emotions as he had countless times before. He did not need to remember the burning of the ring, or the fear of dying alone, or the comfort of Noctis’s arms curled tight around him. Noctis was his charge. He took care of him and made sure his needs were met. He loved him, in every way except the one he wanted, because he was the advisor and advisors listened to reason.

***

  “Are you alright to come along?”

  “As I said before departing the ship, Your Majesty, I feel no need to stay behind.”

  “Well, if you're sure.”

  Ignis couldn’t see Noct’s face and it bothered him. He couldn’t tell if that little wrinkle between his brows was present to indicate concern or indifference, and his voice had so many intonations that meant so many different things based on the way he held his face.

  It had been several days since his companions had pulled him from the depths of Ardyn’s fortress. As the sunlight came to rest on his face, Prompto had informed him that there would forever be a series of scars, one dipping slightly down over his cheekbone. They all held out hope that the effects would wane with time, but as the days had continued, Ignis was starting to lose hope he would ever get to see the wonders of the world ever again.

  Despair was starting to settle in the pit of his stomach as they took the roughly hewn stone steps down to the mystery beyond, Ravus and his car waiting for their return in an abandoned nearby village. Somewhere below was a single Lucian tomb, and if Noctis was going to pick out a way down, then Ignis would follow him. The temperature didn’t change much as they descended; leaving him with the impression it was less a cave and more a narrow-topped crevice that they had entered.

  “There’s a gap in the ceiling,” Prompto commented, confirming his suspicions. “That’s good. We can keep track of the sun since the setting times have been going crazy.”

  “Yeah,” huffed Gladio. “Now let’s get this over with so we can leave.”

  Ignis didn’t move as quickly as the others, his lack of sight making his steps faulty and unsure even with the aid of a quickly fashioned cane. A _cane_ , given by Prompto and Gladio, an unintentional admission that they considered him broken. He couldn’t fault them though, because he was. He was broken and shattered and ground down to almost nothing, but his pride kept him from saying as much. To admit that he suffered would be to admit that he was unfit to serve, and he would never let the precious burden of caring for Noctis fall to another.

  The cane missed a rock, and Ignis stumbled, the cane falling and his knee sinking down into the muddy earth. Hands found their way under his arms and pulled him back upright before the smooth wood handle was pressed into his palm once again.

  “Careful buddy,” Prompto murmured next to his ear. “There are a lot of slippery spots up ahead.”

   “Duly noted,” Ignis replied, perhaps letting a bit too much of his frustration slip into his voice.

  They continued like this for several hours, the canyon pushing deeper and deeper into the rock, Ignis and Prompto weaving in and out of obstacles, the latter always there to help him up when he stumbled. Prompto would warn him when a tricky patch was coming, but other than that, the conversation was mostly limited to Gladio barking an order to slow down when Noct got too far ahead.

  “Could his Majesty be pressed to wait for the rest of the royal procession?” Gladio had been hounding Noctis all day, constantly drawing attention to when Ignis lagged behind to sort out a path. It was drawing a toll on all of them. Prompto’s usually chipper and bright attitude had been reduced to silence, save a few quiet mumbles and half-baked jokes towards Ignis to try and ease the discomfort. The emptiness was enough to drive a man mad.

   The only thing worse than when they were trudging alone in uneasy quiet was when the beasts attacked. Ignis was used to being the first to notice impending threats, but with his vision missing, he was forced not only to wait for someone else to notice danger but also to stay to the side and wait it out instead of helping. It made him feel bloody useless.

   It took the better part of the day to wind through the steep path to the tomb of a king long forgotten. They would have been there in half the time if Ignis had admitted it would have been better to stay behind. An advisor stays with his king though, no matter the situation, and so Ignis had insisted on coming along.

   Heavy stone doors creaked open after ages of rest, the inside of the shrine a mystery to him. The swish and crackle of magic filled the air as Noctis claimed yet another glaive, and the group made way to return to Ravus and decide where to go next.

   Ignis caught his foot in the loop of a tree root and gasped and he suddenly was on the ground once again. Sharp tingles of pain raced around his ankle, the joint twisted under the protrusion.

   “Iggy!”

   “I’m fine Prompto,” he huffed, brushing the concerned hands aside and fumbling for the cane on the ground himself. His leg stung in protest as it was pulled free and had weight placed on it again. “Let’s get going.”

   “There’s not much point in trying to make it back to the top right now,” sighed Gladio. “The sun’s just about set and demons will be crawling all over this place before we can get up to any lights.”

   “I saw a pretty level spot up the path a ways that we could use as a camping ground.” Noctis sounded tired again, worn out from the fight down to the tomb and his arguing with the Shield.

   “Look at you being useful for once in your life.” The jibe was said under the Shield’s breath, but Ignis’s ears had been straining to make up for lack of sight and heard anyway.

   Upset feelings bubbled in his chest as he followed the soft crunching of the other three’s footsteps. They were fighting because of him- what he did. But he did what he did so Noctis wouldn’t have to. Maybe it was a little slow going at the moment, but each step put a mental image in his mind. Already he could feel how the earth’s texture changed underfoot when the pebbled paths started giving way to dangerous rocky obstacles, and it had only been a few days. If given time, Ignis knew he would be able to keep up and be just as useful as he had been.

   Their makeshift camping area wasn’t glorious by any stretch of the word, even without eyes, Ignis could tell that much. Sounds echoed back to them, so he assumed it was near to a wall of the underground canyon. Striking sounds gave way to the hiss of fire igniting, and the smell of demon repelling runes burning into the stone floated upwards with the smoke.

   Lighting the fire had always been one of his favorite parts of camping. The warmth and light in the darkness of night had soothed him as it refracted off the rock outcroppings they usually used. If things had panned out differently, he would have pulled out his cooking ware and fixed something that would keep their strength and spirits up. But things didn’t turn out differently, so he sat in darkness by the fire’s glow and listened to Prompto fret over burning the food.

  Dinner was filled with sounds of men forcing food not to go to waste, and just when Ignis thought they might all be ready to turn in for the night he heard the sound of a plate shatter.

   “What the hell is your problem Gladio?”

   “You are, you little punk! You’ve been sitting around feeling sorry for yourself when there are people who have obviously been through worse. Iggy took one for you and you don’t even have the sense to thank him.”

   “Uh, guys-“

   “Shut it, Prompto.”

   “But-“

   “I said shut it!”

   “Don’t talk to him like that.”

   “What are you going to do about it, _your Majesty_? Throw the ring you refuse to wear at me? Funny thing is it doesn’t work if you leave it just sitting in your pocket! Be frank with yourself and the rest of us and admit that you’re a coward and do something about it!”

   “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

   “Oh really?”

   The crackling of the fire was drowned out by the sound of bodies hitting the earth, followed by the scuffles of a fight in the dirt. Prompto was shouting, Gladio was shouting, Noctis was oddly quiet as the Shield tried to pin him, Ignis powerless to protect the prince. It was too much. Before Ignis cracked, he stood and directed himself away, his only guide being the diminishing warmth of the fire at his back as he fumbled down the rocks nearby, his cane forgotten by the flames. He didn’t know where he was going, but he didn’t care as long as it was away from the fight. Panic was rising; his hands curled so tightly that blood dripped from where his nails pierced the skin. His eyes stung, but he would not cry. He would not cry. He would not-

   “Ignis!” Prompto’s call was preceded by his panicked footfalls following him down, two more sets indicating the prince and his Shield had ceased the brawl and were trailing close behind.

   “Is everything okay?” Gladio panted, his steps faltering to a slower pace as the three caught up.

   “It bloody well isn’t and you know it,” Ignis hissed without turning, his anger finally bubbling to the surface. “I made a choice of my own free will and you can’t change that. You blame it on Noctis when he already blames it on himself. Well, I won’t suffer the pointless bickering in silence any longer. You want to be frank? Then let’s be frank. I decided to put on the ring knowing full well it would probably kill me. It didn’t. The wounds I sustained have mended, but my vision has not improved, and probably won’t. In spite of this, I would remain at your sides, until the very end.”

   “Sorry,” interrupted Gladio. “But I object. War isn’t something you can fumble your way through. This is life and death, and we’ve already come too close to losing you once!”

   “We’d be there for him,” Prompto started.

   “This is not about us protecting him!” Gladio again, significantly more irritated sounding.

   “Then he should be allowed to choose.” Prompto, sounding… surprisingly cold…

   “There’s more to this than what he wants,” Gladio growled.

   “I know full well!” Ignis was surprised at how loudly his voice came out, echoing off the rocks. He took a shaky breath; he didn’t need to feel angry. He didn’t need to feel at all. He was the advisor, and advisors lent themselves to reason. He tried again. “I’m not asking you to slow down. I’m not asking you to coddle me every step I take. If I fall, I’ll get up. If I can’t keep pace, I’ll bow out. But I didn’t risk my life so I could sit back while you fight unfairly amongst yourselves and go off to get into danger without me. I made a vow to stand beside the lot of you, even if it killed me. And _damn it_ I intend to keep that promise.”

   “Ignis…”

   “Now,” he said, squaring his shoulders and finally turning to face them. “To be perfectly clear, I made my choice. Noctis will make his when he is ready. Gladio, you can help by being supportive instead of placing blame where it doesn’t belong. And Prompto- well, Prompto you shouldn’t be so quiet and reserved. It isn’t natural.”

   A small laugh ran through the group, dissipating some of the tension.

   “Well then,” Noctis sighed. “Let get back to camp and hit the hay so we can get out of here come sunrise.”

   “A capital idea,” smiled Ignis. His young prince would come to terms with everything changing in the crazy life they lived, of that the advisor was sure. And as he did, Ignis would be beside him, scouring for ancient tombs with secrets to save the world. It didn’t hurt either, he supposed, that many of the places Noctis wished to go to in preparation of fighting Ardyn were also areas that could prove beneficial to Ignis’s own personal quest from the Gods.

   That night the moon shone down through the stone gap above their little camp, a silent observer as three men lay asleep upon the rocks, waiting for the dawn to come and rouse them, unaware of the one who sat awake and thought of the stars he couldn’t see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, Chapter Two is up! If y'all are still interested I hope to have 3 up soon:) Let me know what you guys think! Also- if you have any scenes you'd like to see with Blind! Ignis, hit me up in the comments, I'm looking for cool things to fill in the storyline:)


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Ravus was supposed to chill in the background but he's actually a badass.

            “When you did not return before nightfall I had feared for the worst,” Ravus proclaimed from his post atop an old fence as the four friends shuffled their way into the crumbling ruins. “Yes, ‘twould be quite unfortunate to lose the lot of you now.  How faired your venture?”

            “If I answer will you start speaking English?” Noctis laughed at his own words, the sound like music to Ignis’s ears. Even though his eyes were constantly veiled, the world had seemed far darker when he and Prompto felt constrained to silence and somber attitudes.

            “Tis not my fault if you learned to speak with the tongue of a savage, young Noctis,” said Ravus, jumping from his perch and beckoning them to follow. “This way, if you would, I have taken the liberty of preparing a meal. Also, Ignis, I’ve come across something that may help your ailment.”

            “Do tell,” hummed the blind man, managing to settle himself in a camp chair without assistance.

            “I searched through what data I have access to while you were gone and stumbled upon a remedy the Emperor’s son used when he sustained a head wound in battle some years ago. It left his vision dark, akin to you, but with time it returned due to the medical aid. Perhaps it will not work on matters of supernatural origins, but it bares better news than nothing.”

            “Better news for sure,” chipped in Prompto.  “I don’t know what you think Iggy, but I’d say try it!”

            Hums of agreement filtered around his ears, but there was a twist in his stomach. He doubted any force of man would cure him, and he didn’t want to be using valuable resources on a lost cause.

            “I don’t think-“

            “Ignis,” Noct interrupted. “Even if you don’t think it will work, I’d like you to try.” A warm hand settled on his shoulder, the attached body leaning down next to his ear. “Do this little thing for me, alright?”

            Gods damn it all, Noctis knew he could never refuse anything when asked so softly. His prince had been good over the years to not use the advantage often, but the slump to Ignis’s shoulders gave away his acceptance.

            “As His Majesty wishes,” he sighed, ignoring the flutter in his chest as Noct chuckled, his breath sweeping across the side of his advisor’s face.

            “Wish it I do,” said the prince, his arms looping around Ignis’s neck now. “You’ve been taking care of me since we were children, so let me take care of you for a bit. And if you still feel bad then consider it a royal decree. Get my advisor to make a note of it.” He patted Ignis’s shoulders as he stood, before playfully tousling his hair as he walked away.

            “Noted,” he laughed, unable to resist Noct’s carefree attitude. It was just what he needed to keep him distracted from the dark feelings he kept beating down. He’d deal with those another time.

            A bowl was pressed into his hands, warm to the touch. He could smell carrots… and potatoes… celery… meat… it was a little heavy on the pepper…

            “Stew? I didn’t know you actually, well, _cooked_. I was expecting cup noodles or something.” Gladio sounded genuinely surprised.

            “Oh, perish the thought, but what can I say? I took care to learn in case things should go sour, as they now have. What is it you Lucians are always mouthing off? Jack of all trades?”

            “But a master of none,” continued the other four together.

            “Though often times better than a master of one,” finished Ignis, lifting the bowl to his lips and sipping. Hmm. Not bad, not bad at all.

            “Where’d you get the stuff?” Prompto- ever curious as always.

            “The people may be gone from here, but their efforts of tilling the land remain. I came across a garden patch while exploring, and soon after an unfortunate trio of rabbits crossed my path. A few small efforts to clean the prizes and now we feast.”

            There was clinking as spoons were passed through the group, then the quiet of a meal spent in reflection. Cooking had always been Ignis’s part of the group. If Ravus stuck around, would that just be one step closer to being replaced entirely? Gladio made it quite clear that he felt Ignis was no longer suitable for his tasks…

            Were they hoping he’d give up? Bow out like he said he would? Was Noctis looking at him with thinly veiled disappointment? Would they let him continue on with them? Find the answers they all needed and the Gods demanded? Or would they leave him somewhere and take Ravus on in his stead?

            As he ate through his thoughts, a buzzing started in the back of his head. It grew, and grew, until he had to set the near-empty bowl of stew down or risk dropping it. Nausea rose in the back of his throat, and his eyes started to water.

            “Are you unwell Ignis?” That voice… it was… Was it Ravus? His focus was sliding in and out of control.

            “Need to lie down, I think,” he mumbled, getting up and shuffling away. The hard rock quickly changed to soft and springy grass under his feet, and he lowered himself none too gently down. He could feel the sun on his face, but it didn't leave the bright spots behind his lids anymore, making the feeling of disorientation worsen. It felt like he spent days in the sea of green, then the next second it was as though he’d only just laid down. The heat of the sun shifted away at some point, but his mind couldn’t figure out how long he’d been laying there.

            _“C-me to  –e, Ign-s.”_

There was crashing somewhere nearby, voices yelling words he couldn’t understand. Where was he again? Who was he with? He was in the keep… no… no that wasn’t right…

            “ _Ig-is, chos-n of Fa-e. H--r m- ca-l. C-me u-to  –e, Ign-s.”_

The voice crackled in the static of his thoughts, broken further by the mechanical whirl of magitech troopers. Wait…troopers?

            He struggled to open his eyes, forgetting for a moment that the Gods had claimed his vision. The grass under his hands was cold and soft as he rolled onto his hands and knees, calling for his body to rest again and ignore whatever may be happening around him. The incessant noise in his brain was enough to tear him apart. People were calling his name, but who? Where was he?

            “ _Ignis!_ Get up! Run!” That voice… that was Noctis’s voice…

            Hands were on him, and one was _certainly_ not human. They were pulling him, dragging him across the ground. The grass disappeared and was replaced with the scratch of old, cracked pavement. He tried to get his legs under him, tried to move away from whatever had hold of him, but his limbs weren’t moving the way they were supposed to. The grip tightened, a hiss sounding from above.

            He felt his stomach twist as he was thrown somewhere, new hands grabbing hold and pulling him through a space. The ground underneath him was shaking. No… no, it wasn’t ground. He reached over in a haze and felt the soft linen covering the seats inside of a car. Ravus’s car. He was in the car, lying down across two pairs of someone’s legs in the back seat. The hand that grabbed him before must have been Ravus’s prosthetic.

            The crackling in his head was subsiding as he felt warm fingers carding through his hair. He was shaking, despite not being cold. Two digits rested on his wrist, pressing just hard enough to be uncomfortable, but when he tried to pull away the fingers simply held on and followed.

            _They’re taking my pulse_ , he realized with a start.

            “It’s normal,” said Noctis urgently from above, his hands still resting on his advisor. “What could be wrong with him? He just started acting strange.”

            “Yeah well, we can give him a better look when we don’t have half an air fleet chasing us for him.” Gladio- from the front of the car.

            “Why Izunia would give a command to capture _him_ and not you is beyond me.” Ravus, just above and to the side, which meant Prompto had to be in the front seat with the Shield.

            “I know, it doesn’t make any sense,” Noctis agreed. “What could Ignis have that Ardyn could possibly want? And how he was able to regenerate so quickly?”

            “Maybe it has something to do with what happened when Iggy was captured,” Gladio huffed. “We can focus on it when we aren’t about to die.”

            There was wind racing through the vehicle as the glass in the back window shattered. Noctis pulled him up closer, curling his body around the still unmoving advisor.

            “Dude! Are they seriously shooting at us?!”

            “Yes Prom, now _shut up_ so I can _drive_!”

            His hands managed to find their way under his body, pushing himself shakily off Noct’s thighs and into a slightly more upright position. He still felt like he was spiraling away in the darkness, but a set of hands helped him stay propped up. Noctis.

            “Lean forward,” commanded the Tenabraen next to them, pushing his arm behind the pair. A snappy click was heard before Ignis felt the back of the seat disconnect and pull out. Shuffling… shuffling… what was Ravus doing?

            It made a perfect picture in his head once he heard the very distinct sound of the former prince cocking a rifle he’d produced from the trunk.

            “Do try to drive straight, Shield. We only have so much ammunition and I’d hate to waste a shot.” Shuffling, the legs he’d formerly been laying on shifting to turn and kneel on the seat. “Now, Prompto, there is a latch above the windshield, do you see it?

            “Uhhhh, yeah, see it.”

            “When I give the word, you’re to pull that as hard as you can and then we all duck, understood? Good.”

            Ping-ping-ping. The enemy’s shots hailed down onto the vehicle, answered swiftly with the _bang!_ of Ravus’s return fire out of the broken window. Ping-ping, _bang! Bang! Bang-bang!_ Ping-ping. _Bang!_ **Boom**.

            “Dude! You just shot a ship out of the sky!! Go Ravus!”

            “Focus Prompto!” _Bang! Bang-bang!_

            “Right, sorry. Waiting for orders.”

            Ping-ping-ping, _bang! Bang!_ Ping-ping. **Boom.** Ping. **Boom**.

            There was a lull in the shooting save for the hissing bullets that missed the car passing by as Ravus slid down in the seat to reload his clip.

            “Not to be a downer,” Gladio piped in. “But I don’t think even you can shoot down a heavy aircraft High Commander. That drop ship has magitech land cruisers in its bay, I can see em.”

            “Yes, and I’m counting on it needing to deploy them to chase us on the ground.”

            “Looks like you're gonna get your wish dude, look! It’s getting closer and opening the main bay door.”

            The low hum of the largest aircraft got louder as is sped in low to get close to the fleeing car and its occupants.

            “What’s the plan Commander? I’m flooring it as much as it’ll go.”

            “Drive straight. Prompto, stay ready.”

            The grinding sounds of gears could be heard over the whipping wind coming in through the shattered window, followed by the distinct thud of two land rovers being dropped from above.

            “Now! Pull the latch!”

            Ignis felt Noctis’s hands push him down as metal screeched away and caught the wind. **Boom!** He could hear the final ship break into a fiery explosion as Prompto and Gladio cheered.

            “What happened?” He yelled over the wind of a now roofless car. It was the first time he’d spoken up during the fight, and Noct’s hands squeezed his bicep before his voice answered in his ear.

            “We’re moving so fast the roof caught the air and went straight into one of the ship’s gaps to the bay. I think it had enough force to pierce the interior wall and expose the engine.”

            “The fight is not over yet,” called the High Commander. Ping-ping-ping. _Bang, bang!_ The two rovers were armed and at a much closer distance. Ignis could feel the vibrations as bullets rocked holes in the exterior with better accuracy.

            Ignis could only imagine what Ravus must have looked like. He’d been a sight to behold in Altissia, but this was an entirely different kind of fight. There would be no elegant twirling of a blade, his military uniform would not flair around him as he spun in a dance of death. No, this was by far less a dance, and more like one of the action movies Noctis was so fond of. He could practically see past his blind eyes to where the High Commander knelt on the back seat, the rifle securely resting against the flat of his shoulder, trained on the enemies behind them, wind weaving through his hair as his eyes narrowed before taking a shot. He could feel the air change as the recoil rocked back into the weapon’s master as he pulled back his hand to fill the chamber again.

            The image broke when _ping_ the car suddenly swerved and didn’t correct. He could feel it start slowing down, bit by bit. Ping-ping.

            “Shit! Gladio!” Prompto’s voice rose a whole octave.

            “Noctis, take the wheel!” Ravus- sounding cold and hard.

            “I can’t get him into the back! He’s too heavy to lift!” Prompto’s victorious attitude had been suddenly replaced by extreme worry- near hysterics.

            “Pull him to passenger and you hop over then, just get him out of the driver spot or we’re done for!” Ravus sounded every bit a Commander of the army, giving orders on the fly as though he’d spent weeks planning them.

            Bodies shifted, Ignis being pushed to the side so Noct could crawl over the seat. The space was only empty for a moment as the blond crawled into the back, pushing Ravus to the middle as the engine revved and tires propelled them ever faster as Noctis took over.

            “Ignis,” Ravus called over the wind his prosthetic hand curling around the blind man’s shoulder. “I need you to switch me places, the weak machine gap on the rovers is on your side.”

            Ignis could only nod as he was pulled up onto the top of the seat and shakily assisted to crawl along the backside of the car and to the other side. Glass rested on the lid of the trunk, biting into his hands as he felt Ravus let go, leaving him kneeling on the holed metal to shoot. _Bang! **Boom-crunch-boom.**_ The heat of fire sweltered at his back as he ducked down, making himself smaller on the exposed surface. The car jerked again and he felt himself slide across the metal. There was a split second of panic until he felt Prompto wrap his arms around him and pull him back down to the seats.

            “It’s gonna be ok, buddy,” he said, almost too soft to be heard over the din of shooting and wind and two vehicles exploding. His voice was shaking, giving away the fact that he was trying not to cry. The hand that moved to clasp Ignis’s was like a death vise. Ignis didn’t want to think about the fact that the sticky coating between their fingers was probably very red against their flesh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to my Uncle Dave for letting me use his car to figure out how to write this chapter- yup folks I totally got to pull the lever! *Yzma laughter* It was awesome.


	4. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! There's more Ravus.

            “What happened to Gladio?” He bloody _hated_ not being able to see what was going on as the car continued to speed down the slowly dissolving road, Noctis at its helm.

            “Iggy,” Cried Noctis from the front, making Prompto clutch tighter. “They _shot him._ We had to pull him out because they- they got him bad.”

            No…no, no, no… that was never how Ardyn would play his cards. He might push and prod, tease them with fights of ever-increasing difficulty, but he wouldn’t outright try to eliminate the group. Ardyn wanted them alive, wanted to make them suffer. The command was to capture, not to kill.

            “We have to stop so we can bandage him up, dude! We’re out of potions.”

            “There isn’t any time Prompto,” said Ravus, still propped up against the back of the seats. “More airships could come at any moment.”

            “But-“

            “Reach safety first, then check the damages.” The commander’s voice left no room for argument.

            “Yes, sir.” The blond whimpered.

            “Noctis, steer towards that overhang there in the distance, it should give enough cover for us to not be spotted right away.”

            “There’s no road over there!”

            “So drive over the rocks, you fool.”

            If the road was bumpy, the terrain it was surrounded by was like teetering over mountains before it leveled out into what Ignis assumed was a sandy, dusty area. During those strained minutes, Prompto continued to hold tight while they bounced back and forth, his body shaking as it wrapped around Ignis. The small heat of the late western sun left them again as they drove under the shadow of the overpass, Noctis drifting to a stop in the dust and throwing the engine off.

            “Noctis, Prompto, help me get him out and onto level ground,” Ravus ordered as he jumped out.

            “Noct, we need something, anything.” Prompto finally let go to help move the older man.

            “I don’t have any more stored. I don’t even have anything to make something with.”

            “Then grab the green bag from the trunk and bring it over.”

            Ignis’s body finally caught up with his brain, his knees sinking into sand and gravely rocks as he slowly collapsed next to the car. Gladio was hurt- how badly he didn’t know and could not bear to ask. If he’d been up when the commotions first started- if he’d been able to make it to the vehicle on his own- if Ignis had been the one behind the wheel, maybe Gladio wouldn’t have been… maybe he wouldn’t be…

            _This isn’t about us protecting him._

The words rang in his mind, sharper than any knife someone could plunge into his heart. No, it shouldn’t have been about Ignis’s protection, but that’s what it was. Gladio wanted him to leave so he wouldn’t have to be a shield for two people, but Ignis had refused to accept defeat and now Gladio was going to pay the price.

            “There’s so much blood…” whispered Noctis, his voice accompanied by nothing except Ravus working through the supplies on hand.

            “That’s coming from the head wound,” the Tenabraen said stiffly. “There is less protective tissue so they always bleed more. It’s this one on his torso that we need to worry about. Hand me that bottle of saline. It’ll hurt, but it’s all we’ve got.”

            “There’s not much in it.”

            A sigh. “It’ll still have to do.”

            There was no response from Gladio as the liquid was poured. Ignis could smell the stiff sterile scent even as far away as he was. He wanted to reach out and help, but his hands were of no use without his eyes in this situation. Even then- he was hardly a field medic.

            “Can you manage a fire spell Noctis?”

            “Yeah, whatever you need.” The prince sounded shaky, not surprising considering the events they’d just dealt with.

            “Hold it in your hands, I need to heat sterilize this.”

            The somber air changed to frantic a few moments later as feet shuffled and pounded on the loose pebbles.

            “What the hell are you doing?!”

            “Move away Prompto. I’m doing what is needed.” Ravus, cool, calm, collected even in the face of terror.

            “No, what are you doing to him?! Stop it!” The sound of someone being forcibly pulled back on the ground.

            “Prom, let go of him!”

            “No!”

            “The bullet went in and never came out, I have to do this before we can close the injury. So unless you want your friend to _die_ you will get out of my way this instant, boy.”

            “He’s not gonna die!”

            “That’s right,” Ravus growled. “Because you’re going to go sit by Ignis and let me do what I’ve spent nearly half of my life training for instead of wasting precious time I can use to _save his life_ by arguing with me.”

            The skidding of the rocks suggested that Prompto had been moved forcibly as opposed to doing so of his own will. Gladio gave a low groan as Ravus continued with whatever he’d intended, Prompto gagging into the dirt. Suddenly, Ignis was grateful he couldn’t see. Angry at why it had started, but relieved that he would never know the image that lay before him.

            “Hold him steady, Noctis. I don’t want to give any more damage than there is already.”

            The groaning turned to yelling, and then a proper scream as Ravus worked. He couldn’t tell what was happening, but Prompto burst into a fresh set of tears at each pained wail, Ignis’s own eyes welling despite his resistance.

            “I need that fire again.”

            Hum. Spark. The sizzle of ignition. Silence as Ravus used it, and then the snuff of it being extinguished. The screaming had stopped, at least for the moment, returning to the groaning agonies of a wounded man.

            “There,” Ravus sighed after what felt like an eternity. “Cleaned and closed. If we remain diligent about keeping the stitches from rejecting, he should heal just fine.”

            “It’s my fault.” Prompto said the words just as Ignis’s mouth opened to do the same.

            “That isn’t true,” insisted Noctis from the High Commander’s side.

            “If I’d have switched spots with you sooner I could have been helping take out the MT’s. I’m a long distance fighter, damn it, so why didn’t I _do_ anything?!” His voice ended with a yell, breaking as the tears fell anew. Hard gasping accompanied Prompto’s fists hitting the earth as he shook apart. Ignis was sure he heard Ravus’s metal hand scraping on the rocks as he moved closer. The beating stopped, exchanged with the sound of fabric rubbing together. Noctis had probably intervened.

            “Breathe boy, before you hurt yourself,” said Ravus, his voice confusingly gentle after the heat from before. “You didn’t act because you were in shock. You may have had some experience fighting, perhaps against wild beasts and capture units throughout your travels, but never with trained army officials and troopers who legitimately wanted to kill you.” A pause, followed by a shuffle as the older man moved to Prompto’s side. “You did far better today than even most soldiers do when the Empire comes. You kept your wits. You followed instructions, for the most part.”

            “But Gladio-“

            “Will be fine. Your beloved friend is far too strong to be taken from this world by a mere sliver of metal. Now, I need you to do one more thing for me.”

            “Huh?”

            Footsteps reached Ignis’s ears as the man walked over to the car. Ravus’s metal hand clinked around as he shifted objects before turning in the dirt.

            “This is my imperial radio and data core. Now that they know for certain that I’ve become a turncoat, they will use them to try and track us. I need you to use this to tie them together and take them over to that cliff and throw them as far as you can into the canyon.”

            “Uh, yeah.” Sniffle. “Okay.”

            “I’ve never seen you act like you actually cared about someone before,” hummed Noctis as Prompto left hearing distance.

            “I’ve seen fresh soldiers react just like that more times than I can count from the first second they ever see the true face of battle. The moments when you nearly lose a comrade are always the hardest on the mind. He needn’t suffer to think he could delay the inevitable. Simple tasks like that will keep him from going into shock again.”

            “You said Glads was going to be fine though.”

            “If the wound should turn, Gladiolus will die and I shall be powerless to stop it, but your young friend needn’t know that. I have spent the last twelve years in the arms of Death, Noctis. The first lie you ever learn to tell in the army is that it is going to be alright. Luckily, your Shield does seem like he will be alive for a while yet.”

            “Why throw the devices into the canyon instead of just breaking them?” Ignis inquired, still prone in the dirt.

            “If we destroy them, the transmission stops,” answered the now-former High Commander. He sat on the ground next to the advisor, picking up one of the blind man’s injured hands to examine before continuing. “That would tell the enemy exactly where we are at the exact moment the feed ends. They’d be on us faster than we could ever plan for. No, this way the relay continues and leads them down a false trail. By the time they find the transmitters, they’ll have no idea how long we’ve been out of the area or which way we went.”

            Ignis hissed as the other man picked the small shards of glass from his palm, quick and efficient. He wanted to say something, but words seemed to fail him for once in his life. How could he give his thanks to Ravus for taking the lead when he himself had been totally useless? It would be like admitting he didn’t deserve to stand by Noctis, admitting Ravus was better.

            He jumped as thunder pealed from the sky, the winds picking up as a storm blew in.

            “Perhaps we should try to find a better shelter,” hummed Ravus almost to himself, tying the ends of bandages into a knot at Ignis’s wrist. “The rain can’t be far off.”

            “I saw something that looked like a cavern when I was throwing your stuff out,” piped in Prompto, having returned from the cliff side while Ignis was being tended to. “It’d take a little finagling to get Gladio down there, but it would be dry at least.”

            “And aren’t wet injuries more likely to get infected?” Noctis asked, concern in his voice.

            “That’s true,” admitted the man next to him. “It would be wise to relocate there at once then. You two should be strong enough to carry Gladio down, Ignis and I will take care to cover the car from prying eyes.”

***

            Rain and thunder pounded outside the lip of the cave’s entrance while a small fire burned towards the back of the space. Two of the five sat huddled around its soft glow their moods improved knowing their friend would survive his close encounter. Gladio himself rested peacefully against the wall, and Ignis and Ravus sat closer to the opening. The Tenabraen was keeping a lookout, ready to move at the earliest sign that the Empire might find them. As for Ignis, well, he was just listening.

            He was listening to the rain, to the eruptions of lightning from the sky, to the small animals that ran for cover as water flooded the parched earth. Birds were huddling together in a tree somewhere nearby, cooing softly, and a small brush animal scurried through the brambles back to its den. Where there was more reverb meant there was an object to reflect sound, and it painted a mental picture in his mind’s eye.

            He heard Ravus suck in a breath as he shifted, its quietude not masking the pain. It wasn’t the first time Ignis had heard it since they settled away from the others, but he was unsure how to broach the question.

            “You’re hurt,” he blurted softly, giving up on finding a less direct approach.

            “Tis nothing.”

            “You’re lying, I can tell.”

            “And just how would you tell that, Scientia?” He was keeping his voice low as well, whatever they said here would not reach the others.

            “Your voice changes when you lie. I may be blind, but I’m not deaf and I’m certainly not stupid.”

            “An astute observation, I’ll give you that.” He sounded almost impressed, something that both tickled and pricked at Ignis’s pride. “But the fact remains, I am well enough, tis merely a phantom pain brought by the storm. There is nothing to be done save to wait for it to pass.”

            “Surely there must be something to ease the discomfort.”

            “Tis hard to treat pain from a limb that is no longer truly there, but I give thanks for the concern.” Thunder clapped again in the distance, echoing through all the other sounds Ignis could hear.

            “I should be the one thanking you.” A lump was forming in his throat, silently choking him as they sat together. He didn’t want to admit it, but Ravus was holding things together right now, his pride be damned.

            “And why, pray tell, should I be receiving such gratitude?”

            “It’s no secret that I am less than efficient to have around at the moment. I hinder more than I help, and what would have been my responsibilities on the road have more often than not fallen to you. You’ve taken them in stride and made sure Noctis remains unharmed. You’ve done what I couldn’t. What I still can’t.”

            “Twas hardly a burden to step in. If we are to travel together then I shall share in a piece of the load. I consider it a stroke of good fortune that I am able to assist. That being said, I will happily step back once you’ve healed a while longer, save perhaps on the driving. Both you and yonder Shield should probably stay far from the wheel.”

            “A good call.” Ignis couldn’t help but chuckle. Gladio and Prompto had been restricted to the Regalia as passengers for a reason.

            There was a moment of heavy silence before Ravus spoke again. “I used to think I’d die a useless cripple,” he mumbled suddenly from his place across from the advisor. “Rejected by my companion lineage’s artifact of power and left half destroyed, how could I have hoped to one day function on my own again let alone continue to progress through military ranks?”

            “I would bet getting your prosthetic helped to alleviate those feelings.”

            “Not at all. If anything, seeing this damn thing every day makes me wish I’d have died instead. I would imagine you have felt much the same over these last days. The Ring of the Lucii is cruel, its masters merciless, and we’d all be better off if the thing was lost to the world forever.”

            “Is that really how you feel about all this?”

            “It’s the trinket that singlehandedly ruined my entire life,” Ravus chuckled darkly. “That ring is what Nifelhiem destroyed my country and murdered my parents for. It evaded them then, so they killed the rest of the world to reach it in Insomnia. Lunafreya carried it from their clutches and so they saw fit to slay her on the Alter of the Tidemother. Now it rests here, with us. I would have destroyed it and your king that day if you had not been there to intervene.”

            “And now?”

            “My sister died for the sake of the fool curled up by the fire. While we had our differences, I never loved her less for the path she chose. If this is what she wanted, then I shall do all within my power to ensure her hopes and dreams come to pass.”

            There was another lull in their conversation as they both turned to watch the pair by the fire, where Prompto and Noctis were quietly discussing the prospects of stranded survivors turning to cannibalism, earning a small smirk from Ignis. It faded as his thoughts returned to the subject at hand.

            “Why are you telling me this?”

            “Because, you are the only other soul alive right now who truly understands what this is like. I’ve borne this weight alone since the fall of Lucian power, nearly a year now. Lunafreya tried to console me, but she didn’t understand. You and I have both stood against the same power and lived, and that lends me to the prospect of trusting you.”

            The older man stood, the sounds of him brushing off his clothes mingling with those of the storm outside and the chatter across the room.

            “If you find yourself in need of one who has witnessed the same horrors, Ignis, I am only a call away.”

            Ignis couldn’t stop the one tear tracking down his face, so he turned away. How weak to cry now, in front of a strong military leader. “The same goes for you, Commander.”

            “Excellent,” He responded, his voice no longer carrying the undercurrent of quiet secrets. “Now, do come help me find sustenance for our group before young Prompto consumes the child king.”

            “Food?!” Cried the aforementioned blond. “Food is good, Noct and I are starving!”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this one's a bit long and on the expo-side of things. I'd have found a way to shorten it, but we're gonna need this stuff for storyline later on:) Lemme know whatcha think or if you have any questions about what's going on that poor Iggy can't see. <3


	5. 5

            Not surprisingly, it was the smell of cooking meat that finally pulled Gladio back to the conscious world. They’d been spending the last few days jumping from cave to cave as they slowly but surely covered distance from their last known location. Ravus had slain a beast that found five humans in its den, and was putting the meat to good use.

            Ignis smiled as he heard the Shield wake up and start mumbling, the potatoes he had been washing lingering in their water basin as relief took over.

            “What’s cooking?” Ignis could feel his face start to ache as his friend’s voice filtered through the air for the first time in days.

            “Flaxfang ribs and mashed potatoes,” smiled Ignis. “Ingredients courtesy of the Commander.”

            “Ingredients that would be useless without your knowledge on preparation. Wild meat is not exactly something I took the time to study for consumption.”

            “Looks like we’re lucky yet again,” chuckled Noctis.

            “How do you feel dude? You’ve been out for a while.”

            “I feel like shit, Prom, but it’s getting better already, I can tell.”

            “Tis most fortunate indeed then,” said Ravus, a small smile clear in his voice. “For a time I had feared the worst was to befall you despite my efforts.”

             Clinking noise filled the air as Ravus continued his work by the cooking fire, Ignis also returning to task. Noctis was on watch tonight, and Prompto sat beside Gladio to make sure nothing happened to the larger man.

            “Where are we,” the Shield asked as he shuffled into a more comfortable position on the hard ground.

            “A cave on the far side of the mountains. If we can make it beyond the gate near the foothills then we will have to fear the Empire searching for us no longer.”

            “Isn’t it just a wasteland past the mountains?” Ignis asked, wanting nothing more than to be able to look at a map and know more details. It was so tiresome to try and conjure the image of one in his mind.

            “That would be the rumor they purposefully spread, but is nevertheless untrue. While I am no fountain of information or resources outside of Nifelhiem or Tenebrae, I think I would be able to lead us through the ruins to a small band of resistance fighters. I remember enough from Aldercapt’s briefings to set us in the right direction. If all else fails, I’m sure they will find us.”

            “So its just a matter if they find us alive,” mumbled Gladio.

            “Awww come on dude,” chirped Prompto. “If we can fight magitech soldiers and demons, get the blessings of literal gods, and win the enemy’s High Commander to our side then I think we can handle finding our way through a little patch of forest.”

***

            They could not, in fact, find their way through the woods that could be described as anything but little. Ignis wouldn’t speak up about it though, as he was hardly in a place to play leader. It didn’t change the fact that his concern had been growing as they had been wandering in what he hoped was a constant direction for several hours with Ravus at the point.

            The massive trunks of the trees had become too closely packed for the car to be of any further use for them, so it remained tucked away under the arranged foliage by where they entered. The height blocked out the light but none of the heat, diffusing until only a heated grey mist settled along the twisting roots where the moisture evaporated, painting quite the eerie picture, or so Ignis had been told.

            “Admit it, we’re lost,” sighed Noctis from Ignis’s side, his hand pressing gently at the advisor’s waist to keep him upright should his feet fail him as they climbed a particularly steep hill. “We should try and turn back.”

            “Turn back to where, dude? We can’t even tell which way is north or south, east or west. We’re in the middle of nowhere, and all these trees look exactly the same. We’re royally screwed.”

            “Hush now, the both of you. I am certain the trail marking lies just beyond the crest. Be at peace, we will know our path soon enough.”

            “Unless we don’t,” muttered Gladio, only to be met with a frustrated growl from the former prince. It had become increasingly obvious that whatever submission the Shield had given during the car chase was gone, and Gladio did not like taking orders from Ravus, just as much as the Tenabraen despised being talked back to. The two were both used to being the “tough guy” leader when it came to combat and survival, causing discord as they unconsciously fought for dominance.

            “Ugh,” complained Noctis from his place beside Ignis. “It’s so hot…”

            _Beep. Ca-click._

“Are you _honestly_ taking photographs right now, Argentum?”

            “Oh, uh… do you prefer to be left out of the shot, Commander?”

            Another growl was his only response.

            Ignis let his arm snake around Noctis for support as the footing became more irregular, locking them together. His limb felt warmer where it touched the slightly younger man, but he ignored the blush that wanted to creep up his neck. It was an act of necessity, not affection. Advisor. Reason.

            The other hand reached out slightly, brushing against the tips of the plants around them, letting the textures and shapes make a picture in his mind. What were these leaves? Could they maybe be used for something? What color were they? Prompto said the forest had seemed eerie, but was it a beautiful kind of strange? Was it anything like what he could remember from back home? Noct’s arm pulled him closer as his thoughts continued to stray.

            They continued the climb until Ignis could feel the slant of the earth level out beneath his feet, indicating the top of the crest had been reached. Prompto let out a long, low whistle from somewhere to the left and Noct’s hand slid from around the blind man’s waist as its owner stepped forward, admiring a view he himself couldn’t know. _Beep. Ca-click._

            “Just as I said,” said Ravus, pride and gloating clear in his voice. “Behold, gentlemen, the ruins of Sha-Turn, and just past lays the path to our rebels, supposedly.”

            “This place must be older than the Empire itself,” murmured Gladio, his attitude sufficiently humbled.

            “By several centuries, at least,” Ravus confirmed.

            Sha-Turn. He had heard the name before, but to know that he was standing in its presence made him shiver with excitement. It was mixed in with fairytales and ancient legends from the past, things that had captured Ignis’s interest from a young age. Even after all the years of searching, he had yet to find a reliable documentation of what it had been used for, but the mystery had only increased his love of the histories lost to the world. Now here he was, and entirely unable to take in the beauty he’d dreamt about.

            He was just opening his mouth to make a comment on the ruins when something hissed through the air and hit him in the shoulder. He had only a second to register shock and hear Prompto’s cry of Imperials above them before he slipped into the vast abyss of unconsciousness.

***

            It was warm, but not in the way it had been before. The soul-burning heat of the sun was gone, replaced by a gentle cocoon of comfort. It engulfed him, encased him, and begged his mind to stay in the haze of dreamland, where worries weren’t real and nothing mattered.

            Sounds shifted in and out of his mind, allowed to float away just as fast as they came in the slow moving waters of his mind, unimportant and quickly forgotten. Colors bloomed behind his eyelids, dancing in light and swirling around him. Peaceful… it was so peaceful. When was the last time he’d felt so relaxed and free? Before Altissia? Before the fall? Memories grew and shrank, twisting with his dreams to make not-quite realities. He didn’t fight it; he didn’t have the will to send all the beautiful colors away, or the memories of light pouring into the citadel gardens as he and Noctis played together as children. Children became young adults standing side by side as they entered the court ball for the first time, inseparable in the face of foreign dignitaries. Then the colors started to fade in the face of all the times they were separated as Noctis was forced to step forward as a prince and Ignis to step back as his advisor. The times when happy feelings were put aside for reasonable suggestions and the heat that he once suspected pooled in Noctis’s chest cooled into the gentle flicker of just friends. Just comrades. Just a royal Noctis, and his humble servant.

            He shifted onto his side to burrow closer to the pillows and pull the soft blanket tight around him, desperately hoping the light and color would come back from the inky blackness settling around him again while simultaneously ignoring the murmur of voices in favor of the rest he’d been lacking since Altissia.

            Or at least he wanted to.

            Despite his body’s request for sleep and recovery, for the dreams he longed to return to, he sat up in the decidedly foreign bed and threw the blanket off. The voices were muffled, probably originating from a different room, but he could definitely hear Noctis’s tones carrying through the air.

            His oddly bare feet settled on a rug, which was a surprise. A few steps carried him across to a smooth, warm stone floor. Feeling along the walls, Ignis made his way around the room allowing for Noctis’s voice to guide him to a doorway. As he did, the obviously intense sound of Gladio joined the indistinct conversation.

            “-really have to shoot him?” Gladio was asking angrily as he padded in.

            Scrambling up from chairs was the only sound that braced him for the impact of his raven-haired charge, followed by his young blond friend. The crushing weight of the duo’s hugging sent a ping through his shoulder, allowing an involuntary hiss of discomfort to escape him. Hands were immediately removed with a shower of apologies before the gently calloused hands of his prince swiped his hair away from unseeing eyes and smoothed out his shirt for him.

            “Are you feeling okay Iggy?” His voice was laced with concern as he ignored whatever the eldest Lucian had been talking about, one hand not leaving his shoulder, the other reaching up again to continue brushing little tufts of hair away from his face.

            “I’m just tired,” the advisor smiled, catching the carding hand and holding it in his own, relishing in the quiet contact for a moment before letting go for propriety’s sake. “Where are we?”

            “With the rebels,” huffed Gladio. Ignis could hear him push off from the wall and walk over before a heavy hand settled on the arm opposite of Noct’s hand. “You sure gave us a scare on the way over though.”

            “I heard Prompto say something about Imperials, what happened with that.”

            “That would have been us,” replied and alien female’s voice. “Sorry about the fright, but if someone is to be using the machines the Niffs left behind, it might as well be us. I’m Ezania, acting commander of the group out here.”

            “A pleasure,” Ignis nodded in the general direction the voice had come from.

            “I also owe you an additional apology,” she continued, causing Ignis to tilt his head to the side in confusion. “We shot the lot of you with tranquilizers when we saw you had a military Niff with you, for the sake of caution you understand. You seem to be rather… reactive to it.”

            “Were we up within the hour,” Prompto said softly. “But you…”

            A pause. Never a good thing.

            “Ignis,” started Noct. “You’ve been out for almost a week.”

            “At least Ravus should have been able to help while I was indisposed,” he muttered, slightly upset that the other man would yet again be coming to the rescue in his place.

            “Hardly,” growled the Shield, suddenly grouchy again. “Little Miss Rebellion over here decided she wanted to put a couple bullets through him.”

            _Well... shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed! Sorry it took so long, but I had to sit down and iron out some plot details haha. This one is a real set-up chapter so remember stuff- it's going to be important later haha. Let me know what you think/ anything you'd like to see:)


	6. 6

            Ezania had… shot Ravus? Was he seriously hurt? Or worse, was he _dead_? His head spun, a flair of pain racing down his arm, and he felt the cool tile under his hands when the fog cleared.

            “ _I-nis…”_

The whisper echoed dully in his mind, the vestiges of vibration fading with it as Noct’s hands once again found him. What was happening to him? The lull in the pounding stopped, the thumping returning full force and driving him even further onto the floor in pain. His mind couldn’t make sense of the words being spoken over him as the trio of men helped him to his feet and then back to the room he had come from. They pushed his head back onto the pillows and the blanket was laid over him again as a cool damp cloth was pressed to his forehead. Ezania’s voice mingled with the others, new and strange in their group.

            “…spiking a fever…”

            “… fine just a second ago…”

            “…send…a doctor…”

            “ _Ign--. Co-e to m-, Ign-s. Do n-t –e af-aid. C-me.”_

The blanket was too hot, the cloth too cold, and the lack of his prince’s hands left him feeling empty and exposed. He reached out into the dark, desperately hoping he would find where Noctis’s voice was coming from. His hands landed on the edge of the younger man’s jacket, his fingers slipping into the pocket as something cool turned at the edges of his fingers. He had leverage and contact but it wasn’t enough, he needed Noct to be closer, to hold him, to wrap his arm around him again and guide him through the emptiness. He needed Noct to help him feel normal again, reason and advisory duties be damned.

            A hard tug brought the body closer, but also ripped the fabric. Noctis pulled away again, causing desperation to fill Ignis’s heart. He curled his hand tighter, catching the rest of the pocket while trying to keep his charge close, and the Ring of The Lucii slipped into his palm as his fist forced it to move.

            All at once, the pounding stopped.

            Calm, gentle warmth pulsed from the adornment where it rested on his hand. Total clarity returned, and the panic and sick feelings from before had vanished. Peace settled around him, relaxing the tight muscles in his shoulders and easing his mind.

            Given the sudden lack of people trying to force him into bed, Ignis assumed they too could tell a difference. Whatever was happening to make him feel out of sorts, the ring was keeping it at bay.

            “Dude…”

            “Iggy,” Gladio started haltingly. “You need to tell us what went down with you and Ardyn. Cuz this ain’t natural.”

            And so the story poured out. All of it. He couldn’t seem to care to hold any of the details back, even ones he had previously promised to keep to himself. He talked about the bridge collapsing, fighting the magitech army on his own, about how certain he had been that he was going to die in the fight right before Ravus had intervened. He told them about how strong the other man had been, how hard it was to hold his ground when grief had turned him into the enemy in the Tenebraen’s eyes, and how the older man had wept as his sister departed for good. The feint to try and gain an edge over Ardyn, the fear knowing he was so much more than they had first thought, the agony he felt as they fought below the crystal’s prison and power burned in his veins. How he offered his life in exchange for Noct’s. His insecurities that they would one day leave him behind after they realized he was no longer useful to them. Everything except the little voice in his head came out, and he couldn’t find it in him to care.

            “Oh Ignis,” muttered Noctis when he was done. “Please… oh Six, please don’t cry.”

            He hadn’t even realized the tears streaking down his face until the other man mentioned them. How long had they been falling?

            “Can you guys give us a minute?” He could feel the pressure of Noct crawling to join him on the bed as the others shuffled out of the room. Silence reigned for what felt like an eternity after the door clicked closed, leaving just the two of them alone.

            “Do you really think I’d leave you behind?” Noctis finally asked.

            “Maybe? I don’t know,” Ignis mumbled, his tears burning in his throat and making his voice rasp.

            “Well, I do.” A pause as he heaved a sigh. “Keeping you around is entirely impractical and from a logical standpoint, we shouldn’t have come after you in the first place. That’s what you would say, but I’m not you. I don’t care a whole lot about being practical or reasonable. You’ve been with me since we were just little kids, Ignis. I’m not going to drop you like a broken toy just because we hit a hard patch. We’ll work it out. We always have, and we always will. You are my _best_ … well… everything, and there is no way I’m going to let you go anywhere that I’m not. We go together, no matter what.”

            “I’ll only slow you down,” he hiccupped, fresh tears leaking from his eyes. “I’ll be a liability to put you and the others in danger. I already have, and I did promise to bow out if I couldn’t keep up.”

            “Take that promise, and throw it out the window. If you bow out, I bow out. You’ve stood by me all these years, and now I’m going to stay with you even if I have to fight the whole world to do it.”

            His heart pounded in his chest, making his hands shake. It’d be so easy to say it, to let it pour out like his tale before. If Noct rejected him he could say it was just a silly thing that happened in the heat of the tender moment…

            “Your Highness,” Ignis started in habit before he shook his head and stopped. He couldn’t, not like that, not so… _formal_. “Noctis…” The words stuck to his tongue, unable to spit them out and equally impossible to swallow back down past the lump in his throat.

            A hand settled on the one in his lap. “You can tell me anything Ignis.” His voice was so soft, egging him on to say what he’d always been afraid of, to finally tell the truth about his heart. Not as a reasonable advisor to his young king, but as just Ignis to just his Noct.

            “I…” He could tell him, couldn’t he? It was just three little words. “Noctis, I…” Astrals above why was this so hard? “Noctis, I lov-“

            The door slammed open. “Let me see!” Ravus practically roared as he entered. Noct’s hand flew away like he’d been burned and it was replaced by the calloused fingers of the former High Commander. He peeled his fist open to show the ring still hidden there

            “It’s true then,” he hissed. “The accursed thing has accepted you as one of its masters.”

            “What?” Ignis croaked out, his mind scrambling to keep up with the sudden change of pace and direction. So much for confessions.

            “Back up Ravus, you're freaking him out! He can’t see what’s going on.”

            “As though it matters!”

            “Of course it matters! How’s he supposed to know if he can’t see it?”

            “Can’t see what?” Ignis interjected, hating how literally in the dark he was.

            “There’s a stone in the middle of the ring,” started Noctis. “It’s a shard of the crystal. It responds to the needs of the king, and any other who is worthy.”

            “And it makes your hand shine like some holy raiment,” grumbled Ravus, finally letting go. “It would seem we are not as much the same as I had previously thought.”

            “You really should be resting, Niff.” Ezania had rejoined them. “Your body needs time to adjust.”

            “You can kindly stay out of my way,” the former prince growled. “Get me a new arm and maybe I’ll consider resting at your behest.”

            “Perhaps I should have aimed for your head as I originally intended.”

            “Twould have been a mercy on us all.”

            The two continued to bicker as their voices receded, indicating they had once again left the room.

            “Ravus has been pretty grumpy since Ezania ruined his prosthetic,” Noctis started to explain. “That’s why he hasn’t been around to help out; the doctor here insisted that he stay in an observation room to make sure nothing happened when the magitech got damaged and stopped working. I guess it took a toll on his entire body.”

            “I would be upset,” Ignis agreed. “If I were to somehow get my sight back only to lose it again. It’s a hard thing, to feel helpless.”

            “Yeah, but…”

            “What?”

            “Well, we got interrupted. You wanted to tell me something?”

            “Oh… it was nothing…” _I love you to the moon and back…_

            “You’re sure?”

            “Yes, Your Majesty.” _Damn it, no!_

            “Well then, let’s get you washed up and into some fresh clothes then. You’ve spent a week in here and you only ever laid still long enough for me to get your boots and jacket and such off.”

            Noctis had been the one to care for him while he had been unconscious? The thought of being watched over by his prince brought both shame and a pleasant heat to his cheeks. A whole week had passed with Noctis standing by him with undivided attention, a pity he hadn’t been aware of it.

            Ignis had never been so happy to shower. As Noct turned the dials and placed the necessary objects in the corners of the tub, he couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at his lips. After his charge excused himself and closed the door, he peeled his limbs out of the grimy clothes and let them fall to a heap on the floor. The water rushed warm and soothing down his spine, pulling a sigh of contentment from the blond. He hadn’t truly realized how filthy he was until he started to scrub at his skin. He’d been able to keep the worst off when traveling by scrubbing down in the small streams they kept close to, but to be able to truly _wash_ himself, Astrals he’d never take it for granted ever again.

            Noct had said the shampoo was in the left corner away from the faucet and the rest followed clockwise. He washed his hair, conditioned it, and moved onto scrubbing his body with the almond scented body wash. Being clean was amazing.

            He stood under the water for a few more minutes than was strictly necessary, allowing himself a moment to breathe and reflect. He’d only been up for a couple hours at most, and so much had happened. He’d found out they were with rebels, thought for a while that Ravus was dead, nearly ruined himself at Noctis’s feet, found out that Ravus wasn’t dead, and then discovered the ring that nearly killed him now favored him as a master.

            _“Ign-s…”_

            He shook his head, splashing water droplets against the walls and he fiddled to turn the shower off. Maybe he was just going crazy, but that could be ignored. Voices in his head didn’t need to be important unless he acted on it, and right now he wasn’t even sure what the blasted thing was saying most of the time. It was even harder to tell as it usually came with a pounding headache and white noise loud enough to drown out Titan roaring.

            He brushed his hand along the wall until he found the shelf with a towel, quickly drying himself off. He pulled the soft material low around his waist unsure of what to do next. He had no idea where his other clothes were, and there was no way he was putting the old ones back on.

            “I put some stuff to wear on the counter,” Noctis said through the door, answering his thoughts as though like magic. “The shirt might be a bit too big, but it was the best they had on hand. Most of our stuff is back with the car, and we haven’t had time to go pick it up yet.”

            Sure enough, there was a set of sturdy feeling clothes by the sink. The pants were a little long, and the shirt’s already wide collar drooped over his shoulder, but they were clean and did their job for the most part, so who was he to complain?

            Feeling refreshed and ready for action, he walked back into the other room, taking note to count paces from wall to wall and door to door, adding the mental blueprint to his internal compass.

            “Alright Iggy, are you ready?”

            “Ready for what Noct?”

            “You and I are going to make a super plan. The best plan ever. A plan where you don’t feel bad and Ravus gets an arm, and we get Insomnia back after we kick Ardyn's stupid ass, and then we all go home happy.”

            “Well, sounds like an endeavor of great magnitude. Let us begin.”

            A smile laced his words together, and Noct pulled him down to a desk before gathering papers and shuffling through drawers. Pride swelled inside to see, or rather hear, Noctis start to strive towards a goal of his own volition and design. A super plan indeed.

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are again! What do you think? (Comments and messages have kinda died off and I'm worried no one likes it haha<\- insecurities). Anyway, comments and Kudos are love and I love these two ok? Don't you?


	7. 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Today's News: Royal Advisor Changes Plotline. Thus why I Have been slow to update (apologies), I present to you: Iggy dealing with some demons, FT. Awkward Ravus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wee bit on the shorter side, but the best breaking point for what's to come:)

            He sat with Noctis in the evenings, working on their “super plan” to beat the odds. It was more often than not entirely unproductive, but it gave them a moment to breathe without Ezania needing Noct’s help or Ignis keeping Ravus’s temper under control as they wandered around to lay a map in his mind. He could get around the rebel base on his own now, for the most part, but the known presence by his side was comforting all the same.

            Today’s sunny afternoon marked the second week since the group had been taken in by the rebels, and one since Ignis had woken in their care. In those seven days, he’d had no less than ten of his migraines, always accompanied by the strange broken voice. Being close to the ring had helped to stop the noise at first, but as time passed, the helpful power progressively faded to just holding off the worst of the pain.

            Now, as he and Ravus wandered the dirt path through the trees, he could feel another beginning to buzz to life. His hands held the bag the Tenebraen was putting nuts and berries into for field rations, and he tried to focus on the feeling of the material betwixt his fingers instead of the quiet whispers beginning to form.

            “Let us take a rest,” his companion sighed, leading Ignis over to a place clear enough to sit. “Progress is slow and I being to tire.”

            “I think you’ve been handling it rather well, all things considered,” Ignis mumbled in response as he let his fingers dig into the dirt for distraction.

            Ravus had done as well to hide his discontent at being left behind by the others just as much as Ignis had. Which was to say, poorly. They understood that it wasn’t Noctis’s call to make, otherwise they’d be out on a mission with them at that very moment, but Ezania was firm in her convictions when it came to leading. The fact of the matter was that Ignis was blind and Ravus now once again lacked an arm. They would be distractions to her men, not assets.

            Still, to be forced to trust Noct’s protection to someone else didn’t sit right with him, or his companion it would seem. His only comfort was that when Noctis left the strong, safe walls of the rebel fortress he took the ring with him just in case.

            “I’ve never felt so useless in my life,” the older man grumbled as Ignis listened to him fiddle with the cloth covering the abruptly ended curve of his shoulder. “I never thought I’d miss the damn thing. I suppose I hated it more for who gave it to me as opposed to what it could do.”

            “From esteemed fighters to disabled berry pickers… a demotion farther than I had thought possible. I reckon we’re lucky Ezania let us stick around at all,” Ignis sympathized, the buzz in his head growing quieter as he focused on the conversation.

            “I’d hate her as much as the chancellor if she weren’t so… _right_ all the time. I understand why she does it, and it makes sense, nevertheless if somehow lends me even further to discontentment.”

            “I feel like I’m talking to an enigma around her, and no matter what face I try to picture, the image I paint always seems wrong. You’ve seen her often enough. What does she look like?”

            “You met with the lady ambassador of Altissia before the rite, did you not?” Ravus asked, waiting for Ignis to affirm it before he continued. “Ezania is what I imagine the ambassador would have looked like when she was younger, granted if she had a less disapproving disposition. Her face is like a mask though, constantly in form and hard to read. Youthful, but wise and there’s something in her eyes that makes you want to listen to what she says, even if you disagree, hence why we are gathering rations instead of scouting with the others.”

            “I can feel that command in her voice as well,” Ignis agreed. “She’s strong, and it plays well to her position here. I suppose she would have to learn to make tough calls for the better of her people.”

            “Indeed,” sighed Ravus. “But come, if we are to be food gatherers then we shall prove to Ezania that we are the best food gatherers she could ask for.”

            Just as they stood, a sharp thump buzzed straight through Ignis’s temple without warning. It was stronger than most of the others that had come before and it carried enough force to drive him to his knees, the bag slipping from his fingers and spilling slightly on the dirt.

            “ _Ignis.”_

Ravus’s one hand was gripping his shoulder tightly, struggling to pull him back to his feet without its pair’s assistance. The static pushed against the walls of his mind, tears leaking from his eyes as it skipped the buildup and pushed him straight into oblivion.

***

            His head was still buzzing when he came to, dully aware that he was being dragged across the ground on a makeshift stretcher. The bouncing motion made his stomach churn, and his skin felt clammy even to himself. It was cold now, meaning the afternoon had waded away past the sunset. He felt like there were bugs crawling under his flesh, burrowing deeper into him. Ravus grunted from his place at the head of the cot with the struggles of moving him with just one arm, but before Ignis could ask to walk, the voice returned.

            _“Y-u h-ve –een ignor-ng me.”_

            He pushed down the urge to vomit as it spoke, a distinctly male quality coming through the static. A gag still escaped him, causing the Tenebraen pulling him along to stop and set the craft down flat. Ignis could feel the hands pressing against his face, checking his vitals, but he could feel consciousness slipping away again.

            _“Y-u n-ed to list-n –o me.”_

He passed out again before the bile made it past his lips.

***

            He hadn’t been awake for more than a few seconds before it started talking again.

            _“The t-me h-s c-me for you t- ac-ept w-at must ha-pen.”_

He was back in his bed in the base, he was fairly certain of that. He pulled a pillow over his head, desperate to put distance between his ears and the sound.

            _“Li-st-n t- me.”_

Where was Noctis? Where was the ring? Night had fallen, so the others should be back by now. Noctis should be back… Noctis would help him, he always did. He would press the ring into his hands and let the power wash away the pain. But he was alone in his room, no one reached out to calm him as he writhed under the blankets and pressed harder into the pillows for what felt like an eternity.

            “ _Ign-“_

He felt something in him twist and break as he contorted his form and threw the pillow across the room, hearing a plethora of noises as glass shattered on the ground from whatever he had hit.

            “Shut up! Shut up! _Shut up shut up shut up!_ Stop calling, stop talking and _leave me alone!_ ”

            He could feel his throat burn as he screamed into the empty room, not caring who heard him. When the words stopped coming, his voice kept on, yelling into the air before he curled up on his knees and smothered his face into his core. He could feel his hands alternating between beating the mattress below him and clawing at the covers, aware of the movements but feeling like they belonged to someone else.

            He wasn’t sure how long he cried there before he felt a hand settle gently on his back. Just one, calloused and dry. Ravus.

            _If you find yourself in need … I am only a call away._

            Twisting, his hand found purchase in the fabric of the former commander’s shirt, some part of him dimly noticing that he wasn’t wearing his usual heavy white army coat.

            If Ravus was perturbed by the contact, he didn’t show it. He merely pulled the younger man close and wrapped his one remaining arm around him awkwardly, but with purpose. Fingers brushed up and down his back as he buried his face in the Tenebraen’s neck and sobbed.

            He cried from the pain, yes, but soon it was a tidal wave of all the things he’d never allowed himself to admit. He cried because he was alone, because he was lost, because it hurt to feel useless and left behind. He wept because he had lost his home and family, because he was blind and would never see his darling Noctis’s face again, because he didn’t have the will to admit he loved him, because the Gods were cruel, because the ring had ruined him, because the world _wasn’t fair_.

            Somewhere in the time Ravus awkwardly comforted him, the static went away and he pulled back to wipe at his eyes.

            “You hear him,” Ravus whispered after a moment, his voice sounding oddly strained. Ignis tensed, it wasn’t a question. Ravus too had worn the ring and survived. Was this a part of the price to continue living with the knowledge of the Gods?

            “How…?”

            “When I put on the ring in Insomnia, I was punished for my pride. It didn’t kill me though. Instead, I was given a vision, and in the days before I received my prosthetic I was plagued by a voice beckoning me to listen, to go to it. I was pushed to the brink of insanity and strove to ignore it, against my sister’s advice, until the magitech stopped it from happening. I did not understand my mistake until I beheld Lunafreya after the rite, doing as she was meant to. Perhaps that is why such rage filled me in our confrontation. In my arrogance, I sought to avoid the path the Gods had shown me, and in doing so wrought a reality even worse than the one I had been warned of. I know his words bring pain, but if you persist in denying his message, I believe only more suffering awaits you.”

            “Why didn’t you say anything?”

            “Truth to tell, I wasn’t sure if you would believe me. I found great doubt in the fact that Noctis does not seem to hear it for himself. I thought perhaps it came to me because I am the blood of the Oracle, but it would seem to be more than that. You are not of either divine bloodline, and yet he speaks to you. The Remnant’s voice is a harsh one, but he does not speak unless it is of true import, or at least Lunafreya thought so.”

            “Luna knew about this?” It took a moment for him to realize what else was niggling in the back of his mind. “The Remnant?”

            “A relic of a time gone by, or so I was told by my sister dear. Most records concerning him were destroyed during the Astral War so even she did not know the whole of his nature. Regardless, I doubt he chose you by mere happenstance.”

            “I’d be inclined to agree,” Ignis groaned as he thought of the message the Gods had given him before claiming his sight. “What can you tell me about him?”

            “Not much,” Ravus admitted with a keen sound of regret. “All the knowledge I have to offer is that he was a man somehow connected to the Gods. The people loved him. Lunafreya sought to find more, but alas, her time to search was cut short by that monster Izunia.”

            Bitterness colored his voice then, and Ignis couldn’t find it in his heart to not reach out a hand in reassurance. Had Ravus had a chance to mourn or was he like Ignis who pushed everything down until it exploded?

            “I’ll do what I can to help make sure her sacrifice wasn’t in vain.”

            “I’ll leave you to your thoughts then,” his companion sighed as he shifted and stood. His boots clicked on the stone floors as he retreated back from the direction he’d come from, Ignis simultaneously missing the presence and glad to be alone.

            He allowed himself to flop unceremoniously back onto the disheveled bed, throwing his arm over his face and letting out a sigh into the inky darkness that consumed his life. Sleep started to pull at his bones, his mind weary from the stress of the day.

            Colors swirled to life behind his eyes, painting an oversaturated image of a grassy meadow. He knew it was a dream, those were the only places he could remember the beauty of the world, but this was sharper than any dream he’d had before.

            In front of him, a vision of a man with long blood red hair appeared clothed in a simple black robe, his mouth set in a sad smile.

            _“So, Ignis,”_ he said his mouth unmoving but the words clear as day as his equally red eyes trained on the advisor. _“Are you ready to listen?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya there, it's me, ya girl. Drop a kudos or better yet a comment and let me know whatcha think:) Hearing from y'all really gets me excited to keep working on this, so thanks to everyone who has commented thus far <3 Catch y'all in the next chapter!


	8. 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally get to meet the body that goes with that pesky little voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, would you look at that! I didn't take four billion years to upload a new chapter! What are the odds!

            The visage in front of him shifted under the light, neither here nor there as it waited for an answer. Ignis knew that he should show this powerful being respect, the need to do so resonated in his very bones when he spoke and the sight of him, while not exactly terrifying, did hold a quiet power.

            “Why didn’t you come to me like this in the first place?” he asked. The usual pain was absent, the Remnant’s voice coming to him like a soft breeze, undistorted and calm in his mind regardless of its growing power as the person before him came into a more solid state of being.

            His sad smile deepened into a frown before he answered. _“You needed to accept it first. I could not speak to you freely until you had acknowledged my presence and therefore permit me to come to you another way. Forgive me for the discomfort it caused you, but I have yet to think of something else to break the barrier. If it makes you feel any better, it wasn’t exactly comfortable for me either.”_

            “And if I had continued to ignore you?”

            _“I would have persisted in trying, until the strength to do so failed me, which would take quite a while. In a more likely case, you would have gone insane and lost that which makes you uniquely valuable. It is fortunate that will not be the case.”_

“Why did you stop talking to Ravus then?” Curiosity prickled under his skin, pulling him ever closer to this creature across from him. If he was brave, he could have easily taken two strides and been close enough to touch the simple, yet elegant black robe that hugged his slender frame.

            _“He became corrupted. I make no testament to understanding what the Immortal Accursed did to him, but I feel much the same kind of aura from the Empire’s empty soldiers. Regardless of whatever they did, his actions have left their mark. He can no longer carry the burdens of Divinity. It would destroy him.”_

“But… I can?”

            _“The hardships you have shared are similar yes, but different at the core. Yours was a sacrifice made from love, where his was a punishment born from greed. You resisted me at first, but accepted the call of the Gods, where he did not. Only time will tell if I was wrong to choose you, but I do believe you hold the answers to salvation.”_

Salvation? Him? There had to be a mistake, Noct was the King of Light, he was the one destined to save the world, not Ignis. Ignis was just the advisor, the man who stood beside him and made sure he didn’t do something that was entirely stupid.

            _“You doubt.”_

“I fail to see how I may be of use,” Ignis admitted, ducking his head as a feeling shame settled in his chest. “I am not worth my salt in the world as of late, and I could hardly-“

            _“Do you think the Gods are foolish, Ignis?”_

“What? No!” He snapped his head up and could feel heat blossoming across his cheeks. This was a being from the heavens, Astrals, he had to careful what he said lest he offend.

            _“Then trust in their might.”_ The smile was back, and he turned to gesture for Ignis to follow as he walked towards the tree line. _“They have given you a chance to remind them why they loved humanity, and I know they would never have appointed a task you lacked the skills to accomplish.”_

He was quiet while they brushed through the tall swaying grass, and Ignis took the moment to observe his supernatural guide. The red hair fell down past the shoulder blades that the robe dipped down to expose and brushed against his waist. A series of small braids pulled it back from the sides and behind his ears, aside from where a thick strand fell to frame his face. He could see the style showing off the pale expanse of his neck until the hem of the fabric stopped the view of the milky flesh under his collarbones as he turned to make sure the mortal was keeping up.

            He looked… human, almost. The illusion was ruined by the fact that he seemed too flawless; his rather androgynous face was just a tad bit too symmetrical, the colors were ever so slightly too vibrant. His bone structure would be considered more ethereal than normal, and his pure skin had no marks of everyday life.

            There was something odd about the place they wandered in as well, he noticed. The meadow was wide and framed with trees, the grass springy and tall. The colors were close to real, as much as he could tell after weeks in the dark anyway, and the textures felt right, but it didn’t settle with his gut. It took a few more minutes of silent walking for him to understand what teased at the edges of his thoughts.

            They weren’t getting any closer to the trees.

            By all laws of the natural world, their movements should have carried them far past the edge of the grassy field by now, but the woods remained ever distant; a sight just before the horizon.

            The ground beneath them changed though, the grass slowly tapering down to a shorter stature as a set of weathered rock pillars rose in the distance. Soon, the grass merely curled around the toe of his boots as the Remnant led him between two of the pillars rested as the base of an arch and up a small set of steps.

            The stone platform was decorated with only a table laden with fruits, meats, and bread. A few pewter pitchers were placed in the middle with their cups, his nose picking up a subtle scent of wine.

            _“Would you break bread with me, Ignis?”_ The Remnant’s eyes shined with something akin to mischief as he circled to the other side of the feast. _“Surely you must desire a more filling meal than the berries and hardtack you’ve had to subsist on for the last while.”_

He was hesitant to approach the table, and even more reluctant to accept the plate handed to him.

            “Is this a trick?” he asked, figuring a direct approach would be his best bet at gleaning information. This man didn't dance and elude questioning like the Six were prone to.

            _“What makes you think it might be?”_

“Cor used to tell Noctis and me stories as children,” Ignis stated, looking down and the simple wooden plater in his hands. “He was trying to dissuade us from sneaking out of the citadel, but they only made Noct want to explore more.”

            His hands traced the edge of the heavy oak table, thinking about a time long by as he stared into the patterns of the grain.

            “He would tell us stories about powerful creatures, and how they looked for unsuspecting people to lure into the shadows. How they made themselves look flattering to draw others away to their lairs, and once they had them there they would offer them food or drink. Humans, being social creatures, were prone to accept and then they were stuck in the magic, unable to leave.”

            _“Well, I can see how that might put a damper on this,”_ he chuckled softly. _“Don’t worry Ignis, I promise you’ll wake up healthy and whole when you’re done here, fully free in your own will.”_

Ignis was pretty sure that was exactly what a demon trying to trap him would say, but there was something about the way he said it that rang with sincerity. He had been trained for years to understand the hidden meanings behind everything in the world, be it of the court or the common folk. There was no reason for the Remnant to hold him with malice, and it profited him nothing to use the meal as a weapon if Ignis was in fact not truly there. There was no way he could think of that accepting the offering would hurt Noctis or the others, either.

            Resolving that the chance of harm was slim, the advisor portioned out a small serving of the food and accepted the proffered cup of sweet-smelling wine with thanks. He still waited for the other man to take a sip and a bite of his own before consuming anything himself, just to be safe.

            The first bite was the only hesitant one he took. As with everything else in this place, the sustenance tasted of… _more_. There was more flavor, more texture, and a greater sense of being full as it settled in his stomach. The wine was sweet, and it swirled on his tongue in a way he had never known was possible before.

            As good as it all was, he felt a sense of melancholy as he looked out to the distant trees, knowing that even if he did find a way to work a kitchen without eyes, he would never be able to recreate it in the waking world.

_“You think very loudly, Ignis.”_

“Hmm?” He turned his attention back to his host who had set his empty plate back on the table and stared at the advisor over his shoulder with his crimson and amber gaze. “My apologies, it was rude of me to let my mind wander.”

            _“I brought you here to do just that.”_ The Remnant stood and stretched before taking his guest’s dining ware and placing it next to his own. With a wave of his hand, the table shimmered and cleared, leaving its surface bare in the light. _“The times ahead will be strenuous. You will need all the rest you can muster to stand tall beside your king.  Should you persist in not allowing yourself to wander in the waking world, you shall be allowed to do so here, and I will see to it that you wake nourished and refreshed.”_

“Awfully kind of you, considering I’ve done nothing to earn it,” Ignis stated, some of his suspicions returning.

            _“Consider it an investment then. A promise for the future.”_

The redhead plucked at Ignis’s sleeve as he came around the table, indicating that he was to follow once again. They stepped down from the platform and crossed back outside the circle of stones, continuing until the grass started to grow taller.

            _“Our time is up for now,”_ he said, his sad smile returning. _“But rest assured that you will have the chance to return and ask all the questions I’m sure you have.”_

The gentle breeze that swayed through the plants began to build up in force, pulling at his clothes and whipping the Remnant’s hair around his face. Aforementioned being reached out as the wind raced by, brushing wayward hair out of the chamberlain’s face before it settled on his chest.

            _“See you soon,”_ he said wistfully as he pushed against Ignis’s sternum and the blond fell, a gaping hole crumbling open in the earth beneath him and swallowing him back into the black.

***

            He could feel the mattress under his body and the pillows tucked under his head. Someone had come in after he’d fallen asleep and pulled the blankets up around his chest, Ravus or Noctis most likely. They were the two he spent the most time with.

            He kept his eyes closed as he turned onto his side and nuzzled into the pillows, feeling as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It would seem his divine watcher had made good on his promise.

            “Thanks,” he muttered sleepily into the fluffy cushions pressing into his face.

            A soft, comforting warmth filled him as a voice softly echoed in his mind.

            _“Your welcome.”_

“Will I see you every night?”

            _“No, not every night. Your body does need at least some natural rest.”_

“A pity,” Ignis sighed into the bed. “I liked seeing the colors.”

            _“Oh, I don’t believe you’ll be missing them as much as you think.”_

Confusion bubbled up, making his brows scrunch together as he buried his face further into his bedding. “What?”

            _“I have missed seeing others. Your company alleviated a great deal of loneliness on my part, as it will continue to do now that you’ve accepted your calling. It’s been centuries since I had someone to share a meal with, and I elected to show my appreciation upon your departure. Gods aren’t the only ones who give gifts, after all. So wake, good sir, and relish in the beauty of my favor.”_

Before he could ask for further clarification, the heat that indicated someone would hear faded away to signal the Remnant had left. He rolled to rest on his back again, hounding a few more minutes of peace before he started his day.

            He couldn’t even find it in him to cry tears of joy as he sat up and opened his eyes to the sight of sunlight streaming through the window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, I hope you enjoyed reading along and meeting our new addition:) I worry some of this was confusing, so let me know if there are any bits you'd like a little more explanation or depth on and I'll do my best to answer, barring any spoilers of course:) Kudos and Comments are love, and I love hearing what you guys have to say so don't be shy and I will see y'all in the next chapter!


	9. 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FLUUUUUUFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF. Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like it might be a little bit of an awkward stop, but it was either break there or have a five thousand word chapter.... so yeah.

            The sound of the door opening was his only prelude to the voice that he adored.

            “Oh, good. You’re already up,” hummed Noctis as he entered behind him.

            Before he could fully realize he’d commanded his legs to move, he had shot out of bed and crossed to meet his prince by the desk. Several glass bottles lay shattered on the ground from his outburst the night before, and he was careful to sidestep them before crushing his royal charge into a rib-cracking embrace.

            “Iggs…can’t…breathe!”

            He pulled back, holding his darling Noctis by the shoulders as he let himself be consumed in analyzing the younger man’s features. The pale skin, the blue eyes, and the messy black hair that he loved so much… Noctis, his Noctis.

            He never thought he’d get the chance to see this face again.

            There was a subtle shift in the prince’s expression, confusion to worry to disbelief as he realized that Ignis was looking _at_ him instead of _towards_ him.

            “You’re eyes…”

            “Are functioning just fine, I’d say.” Ignis’s mouth was starting to hurt from the wide smile he couldn’t seem to stop, and it would seem the grin was infectious as it spread to his friend.

            “Did you end up trying Ravus’s treatment?”

            “No,” Ignis laughed before turning slightly more morose. “Noctis, I must admit that I have been less than honest with you about things as of late. Come, sit. We need to talk.”

            Apprehension was clear in the lines of his liege’s body as he dutifully settled on the edge of Ignis’s mattress. Despite his want to drink in the appearance he’d been missing so much, Ignis found himself turning away and leaning up against the windowsill.

            The stronghold was different from what he had imagined in the dark. The view from his room was beautiful though as green trees and wild grasses sprung up and danced around the tan blocks that created a home for the rebellion. Small blue sylleblossoms were swaying in the breeze, and he could see a man with silvery hair resting near them. He supposed it was the closest Ravus could get to his home or family at the moment. He suddenly felt like he was prying, and so turned away and back to the issue at hand.

            Noctis was still sitting on the bed, waiting for Ignis to begin. He didn’t want to be distant when he revealed the truth, so he clambered up onto the unmade bedding and settled in.

            “I have been having episodes,” Ignis started.

            “I know,” Noct interrupted.

            “Please let me finish.” He waited until Noct had joined him at the headrest and settled back into the pillows, fixing him with a stare that seemed to say go on. “These episodes have been more than mere migraines and fevers. They have been accompanied by a… a voice. I couldn’t understand what it was saying and I ignored it as best I could until I collapsed in the forest.”

            “Which is why the watchers said Ravus dragged you into the base on a stretcher made out of two sticks and his coat,” Noctis mumbled, clearly to himself. He turned his gaze back to the blond. “Something changed after that?”

            “I faded in and out of consciousness, and each time I woke the voice was louder and more persistent until I couldn’t bear it any longer. I snapped,” he admitted, eyeing the puddle of glass that remained by the desk. “I screamed at things that weren’t there and caused enough of a commotion that Ravus came to check on me.” He leaned his head back and picked out details in the ceiling as though it would hold more answers. “He knew, Noctis. He knew I was hearing it, he had heard it too after Insomnia. Whatever he is, he’s connected to the ring, to the gods themselves.”

            “He?”

            “The voice, it belongs to a man who is… something close to human but different. Ravus said Lady Lunafreya was searching for more, but whatever knowledge she gained has died with her. All they knew was that they suspected it was a being known simply as The Remnant. I was supposed to find him.”

            “Why you?”

            “That was the deal,” he put simply. “I would live to see you become king, and you would live to rule your people if, and only if, I was able to entreat the aid of this mystical being.”

            “Okay…”

            “Once it got past the tearing into my mind to try and talk to me though, he seems fairly amenable to the prospect. I think you’d like him even, he’s very… unique.”

            “How unique are we talking?”

            “To be truthful,” Ignis laughed. “I thought he might have been a fairy when I finally got to see what he looked like.”

            “Like the ones Cor used to try and scare us with as kids?”

            “The very same. He offered me food and everything.”

            They both laughed, Ignis’s breath catching as he looked at Noct. His prince looked so happy, a welcomed notion after over a month of somber quietude. And by the Gods, his heart melted to see the little hint of white teeth behind his smiling lips, the way his eyes scrunched up in the corners, the mirth as he pulled a hand through his hair to momentarily show off his perfectly beautiful face.

            He would never take seeing for granted ever again.

            “What’s got you staring?”

            His prince’s question caught him off guard, but he was surprised when a flush didn't try to creep along his flesh.

            “I missed seeing you,” he murmured, reaching out to tug on a lock of raven hair like he used to when Noct was in middle school. There was a moment of suspense before Noctis reached out to do the same to his unruly bedhead and then lean his head tentatively on Ignis shoulder.

            It wasn’t exactly romantic, but he wouldn’t have complained if he got a moment like this alone with his prince on a regular occasion. He may never find the courage to say what he felt, but as long as he was permitted to be close to his dear Noctis, Ignis would be happy.

***

            He insisted on a shower before going to meet the others and bring them up to speed. He’d been in the bathroom for nearly ten minutes already, his borrowed shirt lying in a heap on the ground, forgotten for the moment. It was his reflection that held his attention.

            Prompto had told them there would be scars, and what little probing he had done with his fingers had told him they would be rather large even once healed, but he never thought he would look like _this_. One eye was completely surrounded by scar tissue that dipped down over his cheekbone and up towards his hairline. The other was marred by a series of smaller scars running through his eyebrow and one crossed the bridge of his nose like a tiny war stripe. But it was his eyes that left him the most unsettled.

            He’d always been used to seeing vibrant green when he looked in the mirror, but now that color was gone. While his eyesight had returned, his irises were still off-white for the most part. There was a hint of green, like someone had just pulled a thin layer of something over the top, but not enough for him to feel like he was looking at himself.

            At least the scars were smooth, he noticed, trying to find a silver lining. They had been raised and puckered the last time he’d been brave enough to feel them. And he could play looking blind to his advantage if the need should arise. That was good right?

            He forced himself to look away, scooping up his borrowed rebellion shirt and depositing it in a hamper with the rest of the clothing before stepping under the spray of the shower and quickly washing. He ruffled his hair dry with a towel before gratefully donning some of his own attire that had been dropped off in the night after a commandeered airship picked up the car at last.

            The feeling of looking in the mirror was more bearable when he saw the stranger dressed in his favorite purple print shirt and slacks. It wasn’t Ignis yet, but it was close enough.

***

            Taking into consideration of what he had in his own stores within the Armiger, the little kitchen in Ravus’s housing on the edge of the base had everything he needed. It was quiet while he worked, setting out the mixing bowls and measuring cups before lining ingredients on the counter.

            After delivering the news to the other members of their group, Noctis had volunteered to be the one to make the announcement to Ezania and her proverbial war council whose meeting would start soon. They had no doubt it would take a while to discuss, since their prince would have to sit through the regular meeting before being allowed to broach the subject.

            Which meant it was a perfect time for Ignis to whip up a batch of the elusive Tenebraen pastries that Noctis was never quite satisfied with. He had the base recipe written out in his small notebook; each tried and failed alteration written in the margins. He’d tweaked it about a hundred times, but Noct said it was never quite right. Even the recipe from The Mother of Pearl restaurant, the closest Noct said he’d had, was still not what he was looking for.

            Standing in the borrowed kitchen, flour gently powdering up to his elbows as he mixed the dry ingredients together between his hands, he heard the door open and close. Ravus appeared at his side, looking informal for once without his white commander jacket that was in need of mending after its use as a gurney. The black short sleeved shirt that took its place stretched well across his chest, pulling to highlight the lean muscles of his arm. The other sleeve was folded in on itself, smoothly tucked out of the way.

            Setting the bag he was carrying on the ground next to him, he turned his mismatched eyes to Ignis with a small smile.

            “I’ve returned just in time to hear the news from Amicitia at the gates. I admit that I thought I’d be green with jealousy and envy, but I’m pleasantly surprised instead.”

            “I’m glad there are no hard feelings,” Ignis smiled back, adding a few eggs to his batter. “How was the walk? We were rather put out that you weren’t here to get the announcement with everyone else.”

            “It was enjoyable,” Ravus hummed, ducking his eyes as what Ignis might have guessed was a blush raced across his features. “But enough of such trivial things about me, what have you been up to?”

            “Making something for Noctis, or trying to at least.”

            The older man moved from his place leaning against the counter to read over the advisor’s shoulder, his brows pulling together.

            “Based on everything your friends have told me of your renowned skills, such a simple confectionary should be of no trouble to you.”

            “It isn’t the recipe that’s difficult, it’s finding out what part of it is missing to give the taste Noct’s been craving since he visited Tenebrae. I’ve tried more times than I can count, but it never turns out quite right.”

            Ravus hummed his understanding, resuming his position to the side as he watched Ignis work the dough a moment longer before pulling a cover over it and setting a timer to allow it to rise before adding the rest of the ingredients.

            The two of them migrated to the small living room in the front of the old rebel house, Ravus making a quick detour to set his bag in his borrowed room. Settling down on the sparse furniture, they shared a companionable silence as Ignis flipped through his notes from a slightly more productive conversation with Noctis from earlier in the afternoon. Ravus busied himself looking over the few maps he had spread out on a desk, moving map markers around as he studied.

            The minutes ticked by softly before a buzz let them know it was time for Ignis to return to the kitchen. He set his notebook down on the small end table by his chair and moved back to the bowl, peeling away the clear film over the dish and sprinkling in the last few things.

            Just as he was about to reach for the honey, the last ingredient, a pale hand darted in and snatched it away from the counter. He turned to shoot Ravus a look, holding his hand out in a silent request for the pilfered bottle to be returned.

            “I was thinking,” Ravus started, ignoring Ignis’s outstretched limb as he threw the jar up in the air and caught it, one of the most strangely casual movements Ignis had seen from the man. “I’ve had these particular pastries outside of home and I thought they tasted off too, regardless of what country I was in. Which leads me to believe it isn’t merely Tenebrae doing something differently, but something specific to Fenestala Manor.”

            The white-haired man set the honey down on the counter behind him, moving to brush past Ignis towards a box of his belongings he’d recently recovered from his car.

            “Cook had a way of making things unique and memorable, especially for guests of high standing. This was probably her best-kept secret in that regard,” he smiled, turning back with a small glass container. The label read Honey with a small blue flower next to it. Its amber contents caught the light just like his own had, and Ignis failed to see how this bottle held anything different.

            “Use this instead,” he concluded, setting the ingredient down with an air of finality. “I think you’ll find it just might bring that mystery element your young king has been craving.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mentioned in some comments that I wanted to include Ravus specifically for the sake of a cute scene... this is the start of that. Due to the storyline, the cute moment will finish in the next chapter. Please let me know whatcha think, hearing from you guys really is awesome and 50% of the reason I'm still working on this tbh. anyways, loves loves, see you soon!
> 
>  
> 
> *GASP* I almost forgot to mention we have ART!!!! from the last chapter:)  
> Check out our Hecken Androgynous Dude AKA The Remnant (by the awesome Mary Loza) here:  
> https://sta.sh/01ohvdavgyfy


	10. 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things happen, and Ignis bakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry, I've been kinda absent lately. My parents and half of my siblings are moving to the US Virgin Islands next week (which is pretty far from where we live right now) and it has been kinda crazy as we try to relocate them with just over two weeks notice, so if I'm not updating as often that is probably why.

            Noctis returned about an hour after that, Ezania in tow. Ignis almost laughed at how accurate Ravus had described the woman. Her fine blonde hair was twisted to the nape of her neck and her eyes pierced him with an analyzing gaze, making his insides squirm just as they had under the lady ambassador. Her features were finer, though. All around she wasn’t unattractive, Ignis might have even thought to pursue her if Noctis didn’t already own his very heart and soul.

            “I understand we’ve had a bit of a miracle happen this morning,” she stated as a way of hello. “I do hope you won’t mind if I ask a few questions of my own.”

            “By all means, ma’am. Ask away,” he responded with a polite smile.

            “Young King Noctis here tells me that you have been contacted by a being of… supernatural origins?”

            “That is correct,” he confirmed as he moved away from the doorway to allow the two leaders further entrance into his companion’s sitting room.

            “What do you know of him? How did he address you?” She settled onto a chair in the middle of the room, idly taking in Ravus’s map positions he had been fiddling with earlier as Ignis baked.

            He continued to explain, once again, the events of the night prior. As he finished, he moved to the small black book he’d left on the table. He had made a report of it on some spare papers from the desk in his room, producing the note from his book and offering it to the rebel leader in case she wished to refer to his accounts again.

            Her curiosity sated, Ezania moved to Ravus’s maps, pulling him along to explain his thought processes to her. The timer went off, and Ignis pulled the surprise pastries out of the oven, setting them on the stovetop to cool as he quickly prepared the simple mix of powdered sugar and vanilla to coat the tops while they were still warm. A drizzle of honey for flair, sticking with Ravus’s jar again, and Ignis decided they were done.

            “Smells great, Iggy,” Noctis smiled softly from the doorway. “Can I be the first to try?”

            “That honor is always yours, need I remind you,” Ignis chuckled. “Give me a moment and I’ll bring them out to the sitting room. It’s too small a kitchen for us all to be huddled around.”

            “Let me help you,” the royal said, stepping further into the room and reaching around to grab a tray from the counter. “You can carry the food and I’ll get us something to drink, yeah?”

            “Help isn’t really necessary Noct,” he hummed, handing over a glass pitcher and cups anyway. “I’m capable.”

            The prince merely reached up and tugged on a piece of Ignis’s heat-wilted hair, much like he had early that morning before flashing him a grin.

            “Just because you can do something by yourself doesn’t mean you should have to.”

            Lacking a reply, Ignis stood quietly as he watched his charge pull a drink mix from the armiger, beating it into the pitcher of ice water until it shimmered amber and red. He loaded the drinking ware up onto the tray, along with a stack of napkins, and proceeded to balance it precariously on his forearms as he flashed Ignis another grin.

            “Lead on, my fearless advisor,” he joked.

            They managed to make it the few steps into the other room without incident, although Noctis was slow and methodical in his movements along the way, careful to not let any of the glass dishes slide on the tray as he lowered it to the side table near Ravus’s maps. The Lucians smiled at the treat that popped up every few weeks along their journey. Noctis would always take the first one and tell Ignis if it was good, sort of like there was an unspoken rule that no one else had a bite before the prince.

            Noctis placed one on a napkin, looking ready to try yet another attempt but paused before bringing the pastry to his mouth. He quickly set it back down before producing a knife and deftly cutting the sugary treat in half. Now in two pieces, he proffered the second napkin to Ravus.

            “We should share the first bite,” he said to the Tenebraen.

            Said Tenebraen looked at the sweet in his hand like it was a behemoth about to charge before cautiously lifting it to his mouth in time with Noctis. Something shifted in them both as they chewed, Noctis’s eyes going wide and Ravus’s shoulders relaxing.

            “It tastes right,” Noctis smiled to Ignis after swallowing clapping him on the shoulder and taking another bite.

            The next few minutes passed as Noctis hurriedly got Gladio and Prompto to try, even inviting Ezania to accept a napkin with a tart. Ignis couldn’t help but gravitate to Ravus though, especially once he saw the older man had only taken the one small bite.

            “Do you not like it? Does it still taste off to you?” He asked quietly as he stood next to the commander.

            “It tastes like home,” Ravus amended for him, a melancholy sound to his voice. “Cook died in the aftermath of the Imperial invasion. Lunafreya made a point to send me a jar of the sylleblossom honey they would make together to remind me of Fenestala Manor, but I truly never used it for much. It feels akin to being splashed with cold water after a long day. Never in all my years did I think I’d have a moment to remember what I’d lost so clearly, and from such a simple thing.”

            “I’m sorry,” he said, bowing his head. “I didn’t think-“

            “There is no need for you to proffer an apology,” Ravus interrupted. “The whole world now lives in a time where love is intermingled with grief and sorrow. The pain of losing my haven in Tenebrae has had time to settle to an ache. While I doubt it will ever truly end, I will cherish moments like these where I am free to remember.” He wrapped the remainder of the pastry in the napkin before setting it back on the tray. “Thank you, Ignis, for bringing a bit of home back to a lost and wayward wanderer.”

            Before Ignis could answer, Prompto was dragging him away and posing him next to Noctis, tart in hand, crowing about capturing the moment of triumph. While he directed his body towards the camera, his eyes caught Ezania moving to take his place beside the former prince, placing a hand on his shoulder before offering him a glass of the punch and directing his attention back to the maps.

            After the impromptu photo shoot, Ignis made a small annotation in his notebook next to the base recipe. _Sylleblossom Honey._

***

            Having eyesight served to relieve a great deal of stress for Ignis. When he wasn’t out helping scouts around the area by Noctis’s side, the advisor had taken to helping out in the kitchens. The rebel based housed some three hundred people, and thus far they had been subsisting on berries, nuts, fish, and wild game. They hadn’t necessarily limited themselves to basic spices, but Ignis was still a man raised alongside a prince. He had a more… refined taste. Ravus started making notes during his morning walks for plants Ignis might find a way to use, leading to a revamp of the rebel’s cuisine.

            No one was complaining, as far as he knew.

            It helped that from time to time, as he struggled to find a way to use the local herbs and plants to their advantage, a quiet voice would whisper out from the recesses of his mind. The Remnant was less active during his waking hours, but once or twice a week Ignis would fall asleep and wake again lying in a field of tall grass.

            It was in this swaying foliage that he found himself once again, a now familiar head of red hair poking out from the green stalks a few feet away.

            “Your mind grows stronger and you find your way here more quickly every time,” the redhead said as Ignis moved next to him, not looking up from the patch of dirt he was studying. Small ants skittered around, moving dirt and leaves to build a hill for their home. Ignis waited patiently for the ancient to continue, choosing to watch as he did in the hope of learning something more about this strange place.

            The Remnant stood suddenly, his cloak billowing out and spreading the anthill flat, ruining the small workers’ progress.

            “Come with me,” he said, not waiting for Ignis to stand as he began moving away. His tone and body language were unusually stiff compared to what the mortal had come to expect from these visits, lending an air of authority he had not yet seen.

            When stones started rising in the distance, he recognized the pavilion from the first time he had come to this realm. However, they didn’t stop like he expected. Instead, The Remnant led him past the pavilion, past a ring of decrepit ruins, and onward until the babbling of a river reached his ears. The grass gave way to sturdy stone as a large bridge spanned a gulf, the other side of which finally gave way to the tree line on the horizon. Ignis assumed the water ran swiftly along the bottom of the canyon, tucked out of sight.

            “This is the only way to enter the forest,” stated his guide matter-of-factly as he handed a bag to Ignis. “I need something from the other side.”

            “What’s that?”

            “A book, and a special book, at that. One that after our last few discussions about your predicament, I think might be of use to us both. It has this mark on the front,” he said, pulling back one long sleeve to show a black star in a golden circle emblazed just beside the crook of his elbow.

            “Alright,” Ignis said, used to helping gather a few things each time he came. At first it was picking flowers for potions, learning how to use the plants in the meadow to his advantage. Then it was moving stones to study the runes carved underneath, and so on and so forth. If the semi-divine being thought they needed this book, then it was probably in his best interest to help him get it. His host was good to repay favors, after all. He was about ten feet over the edge of the cliff’s side when he noticed a distinct lack of ginger hair with him.

            He turned around to see The Remnant leaning up against the stone pillar where the bridge truly started, his eyes oddly flat and void, his face drawn. He nonchalantly uncrossed his arms and made a shooing motion.

            “Go on then,” he called. “Follow the path and it should take you where you need to go.”

            “You aren’t coming?”

            “I can’t leave the meadow, not without serving consequences. Besides, you have those fancy daggers from your prince. They will do well to take care of any trouble you may find.”

            _Trouble?_

            Ignis hesitantly turned back to the bridge, turning back once or twice to see if this was supposed to be some strange joke. But no, The Remnant stayed by the pillar, and soon the low hanging branches of the trees hid him away from sight.

            The forest was dark, dense, and all around foreboding. The simple dirt path twined in and out of the trunks, sometimes disappearing into the undergrowth for a few feet, making him nervous as he looked for where it reemerged.

            He could hear the animal stalking him. They rustled in the leaves and snapped twigs underfoot, seemingly unconcerned with him knowing they were there. His instincts were screaming at him to turn around and go back before they got tired of playing cat and mouse, knowing he was much smaller than whatever followed him.

            There was an equal sense of dread, however, at the thought of going back empty-handed. There was something different about The Remnant’s request this time. It was less of a how-do-you-do antic and more commanding. He had a very strong feeling that going back without the book would not end very well for him. He could maybe win against monsters, but he would most certainly lose against divinity.

            So forward it was.

            Darkness ebbed in closer as the branches above him blocked out the light. He was no stranger to darkness, given all the places the merry little band of Lucians had gone during their travels in addition to his stint with blindness. Still, it was unsettling to feel the cold creep into his skin.

            He wasn’t sure what to call it when the beast finally decided to leave the closure of the thick vegetation. It reminded him of a coeurl, but it was bigger and its fur glistened a shiny black in the low light. When it snarled at him its lips pulled back to show off massive fangs that were distinctly similar to any venomous snake he’d ever seen.

            It waited only a moment before it charged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please drop a comment and let me know what y'all think! I hope to start getting into the thick of the plot soon:)


	11. 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis deals with some creepy shit and The Remnant makes him fess up to some stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parents moved to the Carribean- check  
> Hospital testing for thyroid crap- check  
> WRITING A CHAPTER FOR MY FAV RECIPEH STEALING BABE- DOUBLE AND TRIPLE CHECK!

            He hadn’t expected the extra legs. Instead of a standard set of four, Ignis was being forced to parry six clawed limbs with his blades. The talons were long, sharp, and very intent on shredding him to pieces.

            He was used to fighting in a group, specifically a group with the aid of magic, and so his mind started to panic when after a few minutes it became clear the forward attack wasn’t working the beast started attacking from the sides, dashing back and forth to try and catch him when his ribs were exposed with no one to cover his blind spots. Fortunately for him, that also left its flank open for a fraction of a second each time it changed direction. If Ignis could parry a blow fast enough, then he could land a hit of his own on one of its many legs, hopefully slowing it down and making the brawl more even.

            He felt the familiar tingle of magic as lightning streaked across his daggers, propelling his body just fast enough to slice a long line across the front two legs on the left side and down towards its belly. It snarled in rage and pain, retreating back towards the brush momentarily to assess the wound, giving its prey a chance to catch his breath.

            Sweat was pooling in the hollows of his body and dripping down his spine while his muscles shook.  Whatever this thing was, it was stronger than he’d anticipated.

            And apparently smarter too.

            He didn’t see the fallen tree branch until it was being hurled at his head from between two very powerful rows of teeth, the beast switching to a long distance attack. The broken limb caught him on the shoulder as he attempted to dodge, its momentum knocking him to the ground and making his head spin. Seconds later, a massive paw pressed down onto his chest, pinning him down among the roots.

            He didn’t struggle too much against its weight, the first feeble attempt was met with claws pricking through his shirt and drawing blood. His daggers had been knocked out of his hands when he fell, lost somewhere in the dense shrubbery around the path.

            He was starting to wonder dully through the haze of pain and lack of oxygen if dying here meant dying for real, but before the thought could fully process it was interrupted by little black spots whirling in the edges of his vision. The thing was above him, taunting him with a show of its fangs as it hissed down. Ignis’s body started to twitch underneath its large claws, not caring that it cut into his chest or made him wheeze. He needed to _survive_.

            It would seem that fate agreed with that sentiment as his frantic fingers slipped against the hilt of one blade in the dirt. It took a few pulls to get it up into his palm, where he turned it and ignored the pain as he pushed up against the creature to ram the steel between its ribs.

            It howled in pain, creating such an unearthly sound that Ignis thought he might go mad from how it rang and echoed in his ears even after the monster stopped thrashing and fell silent. He collapsed back onto the ground, his shoulder pinging as it was jabbed with an oddly angled tree root. A quick inspection proved that while the gouges on his chest burned like fire they would ultimately be of little concern.

            He pulled himself to his knees with great effort and shuffled over to the carcass. He allowed a curious hand to reach out and lightly brush the soft black fur, feeling a sadness settle into his thoughts. When this thing wasn’t trying to kill him it was actually quite beautiful in a violent, predatory way. Overcome with a need to pay respect to its wild strength, Ignis took a moment to lay it properly on its side off the path, setting the head gently down in the leafy brush. If any other animals came by, it would appear to be sleeping. He doubted any smaller creatures would want to risk coming close to inspect further.

            It was the best he could do for the thing, and after completing the task and retrieving his blades, he turned once again to the dim, spindly path winding through the woods.

***

            He would have guessed about an hour had passed by the time he exited the densely packed forest into a clearing. Standing tall and proud in the center was a heavy stone building that looked like ivy had been growing into the cracks for centuries, although every block looked strong despite its time there. It would have been quaint once upon a time, but the twilight light peeking in through the tops of the trees gave it an old and sinister feeling.

            The heavy wood and metal door took a few good pushes to creak open, making Ignis cough as the musty air assaulted his senses. It was dark inside, nearly to the point that he couldn’t see at all. He pulled on his link to Noctis’s power and let flames dance along the edge of his dagger, illuminating a large central room covered in a thick layer of dust. Books lined the shelves along the walls forgotten by time, their thick spines faded and warped.

            Chills crawled up under his flesh as he wandered the forlorn space. The first room’s walls were covered entirely in books, and the blond could see several hallways branching off into darkness on either side of a large black door. His eyes followed the line of stairs to the side as they curved up towards the wall until they met with an empty space at the ceiling. He took a step back and started with a yelp as he felt something brush against the back of his calf. The clutching hand around his chest lessened only slightly as he noted it was just some notes in a pile- one of many stacks of ancient tomes and loose papers that littered the floors.

            It would seem he’d found himself a very old and very unsettling library. Where should he even start to look?

            He picked a hall full of shelves and meandered to its end and up a twisting staircase. The stairwell emptied out into another hall, and Ignis chose to investigate the first door it housed, which whined open to reveal a room with books stacked high against the back wall and a trio of medical mannequins hanging from strings in the corner, their fake limbs drooping in odd angles and covered in cobwebs.

            The second door was already open, piles of ripped pages scattered along the old wood floors inside. Nothing appeared to be intact, so Ignis moved on to the next room. Its handle was covered in a sticky residue, and he made a point to not think about it as he pulled the warped door open, noting its hinges swung in the opposite direction of the others.

            He instinctively threw his flaming dagger at the stranger on the other side, every part of him sure that the man with scars along his face posed danger. His nerves spiked again as the mirror shattered on impact, his inability to reconcile with his reflection spraying glass out from the shallow closet and putting out the light. A shard caught against his forehead, instantly opening the skin and allowing blood to cascade down into his eye.

            He staggered back against the far wall, crying out again as the stones swung out from behind him and he tumbled down a set of wooden stairs. His dagger bounced down after him, clattering to a stop beside Ignis’s head. He called the fire once again and looked up just in time to see the hidden opening slide closed, leaving him sprawled once again in the main room downstairs.

            So, a creepy old library… with trap doors… great.

            “Looking for something Mister?”

            Ignis whirled around to face the young boy who had spoken from out of nowhere, gasping as he looked into the childish eyes of a boy he’d once known, whose name had been stolen away from his memory after years of not seeing or speaking to each other.

            Names aside, he knew the slightly older child should most certainly _not_ still look like a nine-year-old after nearly eighteen years. In a state of disbelief, Ignis reached out a hand, wracking his mind for a name, a memory, anything that would identify the person across from him other than his face.

            “Clarence…” Ignis breathed, the small child beaming as his old friend remembered, recalling something about a boat by a lake one early summer morning. And then the child faded away into dust that settled on the already dirty floor like he’d never been there at all. What the hell was happening?

            He shuffled up to his feet, brushing off his pants before making his way down a second hall on the other side of the room. It felt more congested than the first and ended without any doors along its sides. A hallway to nowhere…

            However, backtracking wasn’t an option, because when he turned to retrace his steps, he was greeted with a wall instead. His vision went hazy as the sound of rocks grinding together vibrated behind him. He flipped back around, distress rising yet again as he took in the now entirely different hallway with its ominous black door on the far end that looked like no one had entered since the building was made.

            The wood floors creaked as he walked towards the only exit left, pushing against the old door that swung open without hardly a touch. The inside was like a gift from the heavens themselves in the midst of this place’s madness.

            The Remnant’s symbol was inlaid in a giant circle on the floor. The ancient wooden planks had been covered by a large red woven rug, the gold and black insignia wrapping around a stone stand in the empty heart of the star. A white leather bound book lay closed on its surface, the mark raised on its cover. There was just one problem…

            He had found the book- now how the hell was he supposed to get out of this place?

            Exiting the only door, Ignis stomach lurched as the world went sideways for a moment. He shook his head to clear the static, only to find himself once again the main entrance. He slipped the book into the satchel The Remnant had given him before he hurried to the doors that led outside, frustration rising as they refused to budge.

            “That won’t do you any good,” chipped in an older man’s voice.

            “Who are you?” Ignis asked warily as he turned to face the middle-aged male, this time certain he didn’t know the face in front of him.

            “I don’t rightly remember and from the looks of things, nobody else does either,” he laughed. “But I do know one thing- if you want to take knowledge from this here library, you gotta leave somethin’ behind to take its place.”

            “What?”

            “Kinda strange, I know son, but thems the rules. Gotta give some to take some, ya hear? Now,” said the man, pulling on the ends of his ratty suit jacket. “Just think of what you’d be willin’ to forget and write it on one of them slips of paper over there, and you’ll be set to take that there book with you.”

            Ignis followed the man’s outstretched hand to an old and cobweb-covered desk, brushing off who knew how many years of filth to find a paper and a pencil underneath.

            “Pardon the mess,” the man said while trailing after him. “We forgotten folks would tidy things up, but we’re nothin’ but lost memories now- and memories don’t got enough substance to go dustin’ shelves and whatnot.”

            “It’s fine,” Ignis replied- his habitual manners kicking in as he scrawled out a quick note on the bottom empty line of the paper.

            And just like that, the door swung open- letting in the hazy light of diffused twilight into the otherwise dark and eerie library. Ignis looked down at the paper again, seeing his handwriting spreading across the line, but his words didn’t make any sense anymore. The letters were there- they spelled out the words- but as soon as Ignis’s eyes moved on to the next part of the short sentence the section preceding it left his mind and he couldn’t for the life of him remember what he’d put down.

            It left him feeling uneasy as he returned through the now silent forest to deliver the book to The Remnant.

***

            The supernatural entity was not where Ignis had left him.

            The meadow sprawling out across the other side of the bridge was a relief to see, letting him finally relax after his time in the dark woods and strange enchanted library. He wandered through the grasses, pushing his tired legs to carry him just another step. Exhaustion was hitting him full force.

            He found the man in the pavilion where they’d eaten together the first time Ignis had awoken in this strange world, pouring over a large array of runes carved into small multi-colored stones that lay scattered about the table. His red hair flittered about his face, and Ignis took the moment to observe before the other knew he was there.

            When The Remnant shifted and waved a hand through the air to magically flip the rocks Ignis couldn’t help but picture a different man in his place for a moment. Even such a simple gesture reminded the advisor of a very particular Chancellor of Nifelhiem.

            “Ah good,” The Remnant smiled, catching a glimpse of the mortal out of the corner of his eye. “You’re back. The book?”

            Ignis silently handed over the bag, watching warily as the being pulled the white tome from within and set it on the table in the middle of his runes. A sharp snap of his fingers and the pages began to flip open, turning quickly to a page near the middle.

            Taking it into his hands once again, Ignis’s host leaned up against the sturdy wood as he read whatever the book had opened to.

            “Impressively well done, Ignis,” he said after a moment, flicking his eyes up to flash his guest a smile. “Gra’ath tells me you handled yourself well in the woods as well, I must say I am pleased by your conduct.”

            “Gra’ath?” Ignis questioned.

            In response, The Remnant only hummed and pointed over Ignis’s shoulder towards a large grassy knoll outside the stone circle where the large black feline from the forest lay resting in the sun- very much alive and seemingly unharmed in spite of the violent duel they’d had earlier.

            “Gra’ath guards the Library of Forgotten Things, its immortal protector. He’s a feisty one, but you bested him in combat and still showed respect for his place here. Because of that and the fact that you made it out alive at all, you’ve earned the right to travel there freely. Now, I do believe I owe you something- especially considering the fact that you’ve had to give up a memory to get this for me.”

            He placed a hand on the mortal’s shoulder, leading him to the side of the table where the runes still lay scattered.

            “I took the liberty of casting for you while you were gone,” The Remnant explained. “The runes tell me you have made a great change in the natural course of the world, and that if you are not careful you will lose a great deal. What intrigues me is this,” he continued, pointing to a particular cluster of stones that grouped around a green gem towards the middle of the table. “This one here represents the Accursed, who we already knew was part of your tale, but these two perpendicular ones… one represents myself I’m fairly sure, but I have yet to puzzle the meaning from the other aside from it being the marking for chaos. Neither can I discern how my involvement intersects with the two or any of the rest,” he sighed, gesturing to the other twenty or so markings spread across the wooden surface.

            “What’s the green one in the middle mean?” Ignis dared to ask, unsure if it would be rude to admit lacking the knowledge to understand.

            “Oh, the center stone is always the subject of the cast. In this case, that means you.”

            “Alright… what’s this purple one mean?” The gold rune symbol inlaid against the magenta rock drew Ignis’s eye more than any of the others to where it lay just outside the triangle arrangement of stones they had been discussing earlier.

            “That is _Igah_ , the symbol for repressed emotions which, if I may be so bold to say, you have plenty of.”

            “I do _not,_ ” flailed the advisor, heat rushing to his cheeks.

            “Mmm-hmm. And that right there is exactly the point. Now I find it particularly interesting,” The Remnant chuckled as he moved to the other side of the table. “That the rune about your feelings lines up almost perfectly with the rune that represents your king. Care to share any thoughts on that sir?”

            Was he… _teasing him?_ His stupid enchanted rocks were giving away personal information and the semi-divine was using it to humor himself.

            “It would never happen,” Ignis said softly, ducking his head to hide the furthering of his blush. “He could never be mine.”

            “Ignis,” The Remnant hummed. “If you’re going to be strong enough to support your king when he needs you, then you need to be strong enough to admit to your own needs as well. You are a human, for a human to love is natural. If you resist what you need by nature of your design then you are sure to fail. You don’t have to say anything you don’t want to, but you cannot keep lying to yourself and pretending that doing so makes you strong.”

            “So what do I do?”

            “Be honest with yourself. Do you love your king?”

            Ignis’s voice cracked with emotion as he nodded. “More than life.”

            It was cathartic, he supposed, to finally admit it out loud to someone else. The Gods themselves hadn’t even heard him dedicate himself to the notion, although it had been heavily implied. It was like releasing a breath he hadn’t even known he’d been holding.

            “Then live so that he knows it,” The Remnant smiled. “Now, enough of this, let us eat before you have to waken.”

            With a wave of his hand, the runes and book disappeared and they once again broke bread together before Ignis was lead back to the spot he’d arrived in and ushered back into the waking world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyyyyyyo! Drop them comments, tell me whatcha think- yall know I love hearing from ya! Catch ya next time!


	12. 12

            “Ah, Scientia,” Ravus hummed as he neared the gates. “I had thought you would be ever plastered to your king’s side these days. I have not had the chance to inquire after you as often as before with my contributions keeping me busy here at the base, forgive me.”

            “No need,” the advisor smiled as he stood, brushing dirt from the back of his legs. “Noctis and Prompto had a brush with some poison oak yesterday evening on a scouting trip up the mountain, so they’re being forced to stay in bed for the day to make sure no other adverse reactions make an appearance.”

            “Could you imagine the tales,” the platinum blond chuckled quietly. “Eos’s hero, Chosen of the Gods, the great King of Light- vanquished by a rash brought on from unfamiliar flora. Regardless of your companions’ antics, I am glad you’ve crossed my path- I was in truth about to come searching for you.”

            “As I was looking for you.”

            “I… require your aid in a particular… development.” Ravus’s eyes slid to the side, and a faint trace of pink slid across his high pale cheekbones. “And discretion, if you’d be so kind.”

            Ignis took a step closer, before leaning in conspiratorially. “Is this about whatever you and Ezania have been up to these last few weeks?”

            “ _What?_ ” Ravus recoiled, a solidly shocked look crossing his features. “What on the Gods’ good earth makes you think Ezania has something to do with this?”

            “Forgive me if I’ve misinterpreted,” Ignis laughed. “It was my first assumption, given the fact that the two of you have been constantly together since… well, I suppose since I got my eyesight back- just shy of a month now.”

            “She is a strong and respectable woman,” the Tenebraen sighed. “I admire her command and she can draw courage to her men while having someone who knows how Nifelhiem’s army works on the inside. It is strictly a… companionable work ethic.”

            “Of course,” Ignis smiled, bowing his head in surrender of the subject. “Then what was it you were needing of me?”

            “I intend to gather a squadron to take one of the airships to the far side of the mountain- where Shiva once rested before setting out to try and defend the Infernian. Young Noctis still needs to find one requisite blessing, and perhaps there may be something in her sanctuary that will shed insight into the matter.”

            “And the fact that Ezania is in need of minerals from the same area to run the magitech is just _companionable_ luck, I take it?”

            “I fail to see how it makes a difference either way,” the commander said amicably as they moved towards his outpost. “Regardless, if there’s anyone you should be worried about keeping out of the clouds, twould be Noctis if Ezania’s men are any reliable source of information.”

            His steps faltered for only a moment before he resumed following.

            “What would be distracting him?”

            “Mele Rodgers from the engineering crew, if rumors are to be believed. I myself am skeptical, but they did carry an air when last I saw them together, I can’t deny,” he hummed as they entered his lodging, inviting Ignis to make himself comfortable while he changed into some less dusty clothes.

            A _woman?_ Ignis had to stomp down _really_ hard on the angry spurt of jealousy before he made a fool of himself. Noctis was allowed to spend time with other people, and there was no guarantee that he held any feelings for the girl. Everyone had thought he’d been in love with Lady Lunafreya, and while he had been to an extent it didn’t change the fact that their marriage would have been one of convenience instead of romance. He’d loved her like a sister, not a wife.

            And even if he did love this Mele person in all the ways he hadn’t loved Luna… it wasn’t like Ignis had the guts to stake a claim. Noctis didn’t know how he felt, so Noctis didn’t need to think about his feelings on the matter. And if being with Mele made Noct happy…

            …Well then Ignis would just have to get out of the way, wouldn’t he?

            That’s what love was, wasn’t it? It was putting aside your own wants because there was someone in the world that meant more to you than yourself. It was in cleaning up apartments after the occupant had a long and stressful day at school, opening the car door for someone so they wouldn’t have to risk dropping all the papers they didn’t even want to read. It was making one little tart over and over for years until you got it just right- all because you knew it would make them happy.

            It was standing to the side and not allowing yourself to cry when they told you they would be marrying their best friend from across the sea- and they were excited to go. You didn’t let yourself feel upset because you love them and they’re happy so you should be happy too, right? It was sitting up by the campfire after you’d made them their favorite food, to talk about how stunning the royal attire was coming together for the ceremony, even though looking at the white dress made you want to crawl in a hole and die.

            It was Ignis putting all his own wants and needs down to make sure his Noctis was happy. If he was happy in the middle of nowhere? Fine. If he liked Mele-From-Engineering? _Fine_.

            If it made Noctis happy, Ignis would try to be happy too.

            “You’re very pensive, my friend,” remarked Ravus as he returned freshly dressed with his hair slightly damp. “Care to share your thoughts?”

            “Oh, pay no mind. Merely caught up in wanderings. You said there was another issue you wished to discuss? One requiring discretion?”

            “I did, and it is a rather… personal request.” Ravus sat down on the couch, turning to face Ignis. “You are able to communicate with The Remnant, yes?”

            “Indeed.”

            “Would you be willing to pose an inquiry for me?”

            “I’m sure it would be no problem. What do you want me to ask him?”

            “Magitech is a Solheim construct. If he can understand that, perhaps he knows how it works enough to get a base plan for a new prosthetic. I know not what price we would pay for such knowledge, but I don’t know how much longer I can contain myself to walking through the forests picking berries by myself. I typically would not ask, as it is not a problem of your concern, but I have exhausted all other forms of information I currently have access to.”

            “I can’t say when the next contact will be, but if I’m able I will be sure to ask.”

            “You have my humble gratitude, then,” Ravus nodded. “Now that such things are put into place, I’d like your help plotting out the best course to get to Shiva’s resting place. If you’d be so kind as to offer an opinion on these possibilities here.”

            Ignis moved with the older man, peering over his shoulder as they spent the rest of the day setting plans into motion.

***

            “If the weather is this cold here, I am not looking forward to whatever Shiva’s place is offering up,” Gladio grumbled as he stomped around in the first frost of the year. Autumn had come and gone in almost no time at all, their relative closeness to the Glacian’s cadaver not helping the already shortened seasons of Nifelhiem.

            “You’ve a week to acclimate yourself to the prospect before we set out to true winter,” Ravus reminded the Shield as he adjusted the jacket of what used to be his formal winter uniform. It was almost identical to its ruined predecessor; save for the thick and bushy fur that ran along the hood, collar, and cuffs. “This will be like a light summer’s day in comparison to what awaits us in Ghorovas Rift.”

            A smile spread along Ignis’s lips as the small group groaned from their place atop the hill with the valley in the distance.

            “Relax guys,” Noctis said. “I’ll keep plenty of elemancy flasks on hand.”

            “Right, we’ll just light ourselves on fire to equal out the cold,” shivered the Shield.

            “Eh, pretty sure that’s not how it works dude.”

            “No matter how cold it is,” Ravus interjected again. “I’m simply relieved to be out in a different stretch of the world for a few hours. I appreciate the lot of you making the effort to bring me along.”

            “Dude, it’s a group relax trip before we get back into the big stuff,” said Prompto as he settled next to the commander. “And with everything you’ve done to help us out these last few months? You’re totally a Chocobro now.”

            “Yeah,” Noctis agreed, laughing at the look Ravus shot them. “We’re gonna get you a new arm and it’ll have a big yellow chocobo sticker on it. You can’t escape it at his point.”

            “Maybe I’ll perish instead,” the Tenebraen chuckled.

            “Nah, that’d be too sad,” the youngest laughed, positioning himself in a pose with his camera to take a shot of the lot of them in the snow, announcing it was a keeper.

            The lighthearted joking was cut off as Ravus raised a hand, catching their attention and pointing out across the gaping hole between the mountains.

            “Look there,” he said. “Did any of you see that?”

            “Yeah,” Prompto agreed, fishing out his additional camera lens to use as a magnifier. “There’s something moving between the trees.”

            “What do you see?”

            “It, uh, looks like… a cat? A really big black cat.”

            Ignis strained his eyes to see the dark pelt in the shadows of the woods, watching the edges of the feline move through dark patches in the green and white forest. It almost looked like…

            “Gra’ath!” He yelled, scrambling to his feet. The beast broke free from the trees after receiving confirmation that Ignis recognized him, his six strong legs easily carrying him across the snow and up the hillside to the group of men, the majority of whom were torn between drawing a weapon or not.

            The beast immediately nuzzled his large head against Ignis’s shoulder, indicating there were no hard feelings after the fight they’d had last time they’d met.

            “Dude, what the hell is that?” Asked Prompto from a wary place behind the burly Gladio.

            “This is Gra’ath, he helps keep things in order for The Remnant’s library, or something. He’s a guardian.”

            _“It’s not his library,”_ the cat purred, curling up around the advisor as he settled back on the cold ground. _“No, whoever made it was gone long before we ever got there.”_

“Ok- did the cat just _talk_?”

            _“No, you must be hearing things,”_ Gra’ath said, turning his big yellow eyes towards Gladio, a distinct feeling of amusement coming from the glance.

            “If you serve The Remnant, then what are you doing here?” Asked Ravus, edging down the lightly powdered rocks towards the beast.

            _“Zara felt you were close to the ruins, so he sent me to make sure you didn’t run into any problems. It can be rather dangerous, especially with the nights getting longer.”_

“Zara?”

            _“You didn’t think his name was just The Remnant, did you?”_

“He never said otherwise.”

            _“You never asked.”_

            “Anyway,” interjected their prince, turning to his advisor. “I know you said you were disappointed that you never got to see the ruins. We should go now since we’ve got a while before we have to go back to the base.”

            “I’m surprised you remembered that,” Ignis admitted.

            “Well,” Noctis shrugged. “It’s important to you.”

            _“You’ll have time to get there before darkness sets in if you use one of the tin soldier’s ships.”_

            “Sounds like a plan,” Prompto chirped. “Mele’s doing air scouting nearby; I bet if we called she’d give us a ride!”

            Ignis made a point to ignore the pang he felt when Noctis perked up at that.

***

            He could practically feel his soul being crushed as the engineer flew the small commandeered ship the few miles to their destination while Noctis practically fawned over her. They were sitting close together in the cockpit, their impromptu pilot happily answering all of the many questions Noct was firing off at a rapid pace.

            He could tell the others wanted to ask about it, but whatever expression he had on his face must have been a pretty good deterrent from following through on the urge. Instead, he kept his hands fisted in the soft black fur of Gra’ath, who was content to stretch across Ignis’s legs to be stroked as they flew.

            “And that’s how this part works?” Noctis asked, pointing to a dial on the control board. “Wow, that’s some pretty high tech stuff. I’m glad you’re the engineer and not me.”

            Her little giggle only served to stoke the flame of unjust jealousy.

            “Hey, Ignis,” his prince called. “Why don’t you come up here? We’re almost to the ruins and it’s a killer view from the air.”

            He huffed as he maneuvered himself free of the giant feline and ducked into the small control space with the other two, noting the large rise of the mountain in front of them, half obscured with fog and powdery snow in the breeze.

            As they came around the side, Ignis lost his breath for two reasons.

            One- Sha Turn was beautiful, even more so than what he had imagined after all his years of reading and a description from Noct. The stone walls stood tall and strong, the majority of them having withstood the test of time. Its large square courtyard had obviously once been home to many gatherings in the past, pavilions and gardens, now overgrown, littering the space. It was like a castle.

            And two- it was crawling with Imperial forces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun Dun DUUUUUUNNNNNNN. Drop them comments folks! <3


	13. 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get hot, but then they're not.
> 
> Also fair warning- there is a small section describing injuries, nothing too graphic, but there's a little blood and a broken bone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yall would have had this bit four days ago- but I was a fool who forgot to press the publish button after viewing the draft before leaving town to go to a family reunion on the other side of the state. So yeah... happy late early chapter haha

            “Drop us down before they see us!” Ravus’s voice carried over the fog that settled in Ignis’s mind, urging the stalled observers into action.

            The advice came too late as they watched several loitering ships turn in the air towards them, the rogue aircraft clearly having been spotted after coming around the side of the mountain in the wasted moments of shock.

            Ignis felt his stomach lurch as the pilot dropped their support and they started to, quite literally, fall from the sky. Gra’ath yowled, his long claws sinking into the metal flooring with a screech as he tried to stay still in the turmoil, the others grabbing onto whatever was nearby as for a second life seemed to stop.

            A quick and controlled thrust from Mele saved them from meeting the frosty ground at the very last second. She flew close to the ground, dodging in between the tops of the trees away from the Imperials and even further from the base.

            “Reinforcements are the other way girly,” Gladio called out from the bay as they slightly stabilized.

            “Which is why we aren’t going there,” she called back, the sweet and flirty tone leaving her voice. “It’s protocol hot head. If we’re spotted, we try to get them to tail us away from the base.”

            A loud crash ricocheted through the ship, and suddenly it was harder to breathe. Fire licked down the side of the bay, sweltering against the freezing wind the newly added hole in the hull was producing. He toppled over again as the aircraft started climbing again.

            A small and surprisingly strong hand wrapped itself around his arm, pulling him up from where he’d fallen when the craft had been shot.

            “She’s going down,” Mele yelled in his ear as she dragged him to the bay door. “We gotta jump or we’re goners!”

            She was pushing packs into their hands as the large door cranked open, briefly explaining how to deploy the parachutes before ushering them towards the edge.

            “Not sure about this, Mele,” Prompto called over his shoulder, hooked with Gladio to a bag.

            “It’s jump or die,” she yelled in response, right before she brutally kicked the duo out of the opening and into the air. “Commander is with me, you two stick together!”

            “I hate parachuting,” Ravus grumbled as he clipped them together before moving in a practiced leap towards the ground below.

            “I’ll warp us down,” Noctis yelled over the din. “It’ll be faster and less dangerous.”

            “No, we should use the chute,” the advisor countered. “If we get cornered by Imperials once we’re on the ground you’re going to need all your energy to fight.”

            Ignis and Noctis stumbled together with a nod in the quaking ship, struggling to get the clip to connect when another shot shuddered through, and suddenly there wasn’t a floor beneath them anymore.

            Debris and fire rained around them, Ignis reaching out to pull his charge close as his heart beat out of his chest. Wrapping his arms around the prince as tightly as he could, he reached to pull as hard as he could on the bag’s string. A pop and rustle were the only precursors they had before rapidly changing direction again as the parachute billowed out above them.

            It lasted a few seconds before the flaming remains of a support beam shredded through it.

            “You gotta be kidding me,” Noct yelled as they once again started to plummet to the earth.

            _“Brace yourselves.”_

            Ignis could feel a few of his ribs crack as the massive feline slammed into them, curling his back legs up to make a sort of pouch as they slammed into the trunk of a tree. Gra’ath’s large claws tore into the bark, slowing their decent as they slid down, bouncing off the branches and getting whipped by foliage along the way.

            The two humans hit the ground with a heavy thud, Ignis fighting back the urge to scream as he felt a branch press through the skin just above his hip bone. He was only mildly successful. A heavy groan crawled up his throat and into existence, betraying the burning pain he was feeling. Ignore the pain. He needed to make a plan- troopers had surely been sent to find them. He needed to get the others- find somewhere safe to rest and regroup. Gra’ath lay panting at the base of the tree, and Noctis…

            Noctis wasn’t moving from his spot a few feet away.

            Panic set in as Ignis clawed his way through the dirt to the other man’s side, noting that one of his legs was bent where there most definitely was not a joint. Blood dripped from a wound in his hair, and his shoulder rested at an odd angle. Reaching into the Armiger, Ignis felt the faint trace of Prompto and Gladio as he took out the last potion of the five they’d packed in that morning.

            Blue eyes cracked open as the advisor prodded the cut just above their owner’s ears. Noctis hissed as Ignis gingerly touched the broken clavicle, reaching for the potion laid out for his use.

            “Not yet,” Ignis said, stopping the prince from drinking. “This is the only one we have, and it won’t cover everything for both of us. I’ll have to set your bones first.”

            A look of fear crossed into his prince’s eyes before they screwed shut again, a brave nod signaling for him to continue.

            To his credit, Noctis only screamed a little.

***

            The cave was cold and wet, but it was out of the direct search area the Niffs would be looking in. Noctis rested against the back wall where it was slightly dryer; tossing fitfully as he tried to find a position that didn't irritate the aches that magic couldn’t heal.

            “I could have just warped us to the ground,” he moaned, flopping onto his back in defeat. “It would have saved a lot of trouble.”

            “Perhaps,” Ignis agreed with a slight hiss as he poured disinfectant where he’d been impaled. “But it could have just as easily drained you past your limit. Besides, Gra’ath didn’t know that. He was just trying to help.”

            “Do you think he’ll be able to find the others?”

            “If he can find me across the planes of existence in a different world then I’m confident he can find them in a few miles.”

            He shuffled to join his prince at the back of their small hideout, leaning his head back against the rock with a sigh.

            “What happened to your side?” Noctis’s eyes were trained on the bandage twined around the advisor’s middle, exposed by his shirt which remained unbuttoned.

            “It’s nothing to be concerned about,” Ignis dismissed with a small wave of his hand. “A minor injury compared to the ones you suffered.”

            Silence settled in again, just the two of them and the winter chill. Ignis dully noted that his shirt was ruined- the holes ripped into the sleeves and side would never be able to be mended and several of the buttons had come off.

            Noctis shifted and crawled over to the first aid kit, returning with a cotton ball, some disinfectant, and an adhesive bandage.

            “You’ve got a cut on your cheek,” he said, as he wet the white puff and dabbed at the small wound that overlapped with Ignis’s scars. He hadn’t even felt it there.

            Part of him wanted to protest, to insist that it was his job to take care of Noctis not the other way around. But it felt nice to be the one getting cared for, and it didn’t happen to him often so he sat dutifully still and let the prince have his way. He gulped down the breathy sigh that wanted to escape as Noct let his fingers roam over the skin, cleaning away the dirt and smoothing down the edges of the bandage.

            He was petrified when he felt breath ghost across his face, opening eyes he hadn’t realized had fluttered closed to see Noctis so very, very close, and with a strange hungry look in his eyes. One hand was still resting on his jaw, fingers absentmindedly toying with the ends of Ignis’s hair.

            “All patched up,” Noctis breathed, a flush spreading across the pale planes of his face.

            He moved to open his mouth, but no sound came out. He just sat there gaping like a fish as he watched his prince’s eyes flick down and then back. Noct shifted closer, obviously testing the water to see if Ignis would move away, brushing their foreheads together as they shuddered in the cold.

            So close… They were so close… Was he going to…?

            Noctis suddenly pulled away with a cough, pausing for a moment before shaking his head and packing up their medical supplies and placing them back in the Armiger.

            “I’m going to step outside and try to call Gladio or Prompto again. Maybe not having the rock all around will give a better signal,” Noct said, not looking at Ignis.

            “You should rest, I can-“

            “No, no. It’s alright Ignis. Besides, your phone got busted in the crash and I… need some air.”

            And with that his prince pulled his jacket around himself tighter and headed out into the snow, leaving his advisor to wonder what he’d done wrong.

***

            “Still no answer?”

            Several hours had passed, the dark of night setting in without a trace of their friends or supernatural protector. Noctis paced back and forth putting the phone to his ear every few minutes in the hopes of getting a response from someone on the other end of the call.

            “Nothing,” Noctis groaned. “There’s got to be a reason.”

            He continued tracing his path around the edge of the cave, dragging one hand across the bumpy stone before anxiousness brought the phone up again. Ignis could hear his small sigh of relief as the muffled female voice puttering through the receiver, someone having finally answered.

            “We’re fine,” Noct said, answering the other line. “Iggy patched up most of the damage… No, we had him go out and look for you guys and he hasn’t come back…” Noctis moved to the mouth of the cave, peering out towards the sky. “Yeah, I see it. It’s to the south-west of us…alright, we’ll be here.”

            He slid the phone back into his pocket before running his hands through his hair and sitting across the space from Ignis.

            “That was Mele,” he started, tone clipped. “She and Ravus found the guys; they’ve been having to backtrack for a while to avoid the troops left behind to look for us, but now they’re on their way here. Nobody’s seen your friend.”

            “He’s big and powerful, I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’ll come back eventually.”

            He didn’t like having Noctis so far away. The prince had been cold and distant ever since coming back in from the first failed call. Ignis wasn’t exactly sure _why_ , he couldn’t puzzle out what he might have done to upset him. One moment he thought the prince might kiss him and the next it was like he scorned the blond’s very existence.

            The next half hour continued in much the same way the last several had. Ignis would try to break the tension with a lighthearted inquiry or statement only to be shut down by a short, uninterested answer.

            “We should try to find a way to let the base know what’s happened.”

            “Right.”

            “Do you want to-”

            “No.”

            A pause.

            “Perhaps then we should-”

            “ _Ignis_.”

            “Ah… right. Of course, Your Highness.”

            Eggshells. Every breath was like walking on eggshells, leaving Ignis unsure of where to place his weight. Noctis didn’t want to talk, so that was out. Ignis had already checked over everything they had with them twice, but he reckoned a third time wouldn’t hurt. The look Noctis shot him as he began stopped that progress as well.

            “Aren’t you tired or something?”

            His charges words caught him off guard, rendering him quiet for a moment as he pondered a response.

            “There’s hardly time to be tired when we are in danger.”

            “You didn’t seem to have any problems when it was just you dealing with issues.”

            “My issues alone are of no concern; it’s you who I am to look after first and foremost.”

            “What? Are you my _mother_ now?”

            “Mum’s the word,” he said with forced calm.

            “I’m going to meet the others,” Noct said, brushing off his pants and moving to the entrance once again. “You stay here.”

            “It isn’t safe for you to go alone,” Ignis reminded him.

            “I’m a grown man. I can handle walking a while in the dark.”

            “It isn’t the dark that worries me.”

            There was a tense moment where they locked eyes, neither party willing to let the other have their way. Noctis was about to open his mouth to argue further when a loud crash and thud sounded outside the opening to the cave, causing both men to draw their weapons in a flash of blue light.

            “Just us,” Mele called lowly, putting her hands up in mock surrender. “Your shield here isn’t so deft in the dark without his flashlight.”

            “Apologies for the delay,” Ravus said as he exchanged the cold woods for the frosty cavern. “It would seem Izunia was hard to persuade to give up the search.”

            “Just glad you guys are back in one piece,” Noct said, shooting a final glance towards Ignis before making his way back to the far wall. “It's late though. Set up some shifts, I’m going to sleep.”

            Ignis volunteered first watch, and he didn’t bother to wake Prompto when his turn was up. In spite of the day's energetic events, he couldn't find himself to lay in his usual place beside the prince.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna do it- they were gonna kiss- and then Noctis decided to tell me no because reasons that will be explained later. Drop them comments (which I apologize for sucking up at replying to lately) and let me know if you enjoyed! 
> 
> Also- you know that feeling when you read other people's work and you're blown away, so you go to the comments to gush and see the people who've commented on that *literal* work of art are some of the same people who comment on your stuff and you are just like?????????? They read this and still like mine afterward say whaaaaaat? That's how some of yall make me feel. Looking at you Pinknoonycorn and Tierkreis <3


	14. 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis is lonerly, but at least Ravus is there to talk with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have an early chapter!

            The rescue ship Ezania sent for them arrived early while the sun was still low and snow flittered in the air. The base was quiet as they returned, Mele explaining that all activity had been put on hold until they were more aware of the Empire’s plans in the region. The quietude unsettled Ignis, who was used to the bustle the rebels provided.

            It continued like this for several days, postponing their trip to Ghorovas Rift, until scouts reported the last of the airships leaving back over the mountains towards Gralea. The whole world seemed to be holding its breath, just waiting for them to come swinging back over the range in a vicious surprise attack that never came. Days passed, then a week, before Ezania and her council decided it was safe to start things up again. The planned travel to the Glacian’s resting place was pushed back for another week, the prince’s group restricted to base until it was time to go as a safety precaution. Things returned to mostly normal soon after, save for one thing.

            Noctis was still avoiding him.

            Gladio, Prompto, and even Ravus had expressed concern over the sudden rift between the prince and his advisor, but when questioned as to the cause all Ignis could do was shrug it off. Noctis himself didn't want to talk about it, only becoming agitated when someone tried to ask.

            For every minute that Noct spent less time with Ignis, he spent an extra one with Mele, constantly hanging around the engineering bay when he had a spare moment. It broke the blond’s heart bit by bit when his charge was suddenly too busy to make most of the meetings they’d arranged for discussing strategies for the inevitable upcoming conflict, or even to sit together over a simple meal.

            He couldn’t help but wonder if it was because of the scars.

            Standing in front of the mirror started to take up a fair deal of Ignis’s time, the silvery markings on his face and clouded eyes making his stomach turn. No wonder Noctis had backed away- he looked awful. How could a prince so used to beauty and perfection ever want a horribly disfigured man like him? Maybe before things would have been different, when he was fair skinned and green-eyed. Maybe Noctis would have leaned in and said all the things Ignis was too afraid to. Maybe he would have kissed him, said he loved him. Maybe-

            He shook his head. ‘Maybe’ wasn’t enough to change the truth, and he was only hurting himself by thinking that things could have been different. Ignis wouldn’t change the past even if he could. He’d lay down his life for Noct over and over, and maybe it was foolish, but he didn’t care. From childhood, Noctis Lucis Caelum was the single most important part of Ignis’s very being. To be honest- he wasn’t sure what he would do if he ever found himself alone without a prince beside him.

            It looked like he was about to find out exactly how that would feel though, as a knock on the outer door revealed Prompto, carrying the news that Noctis wouldn’t be making it to lunch yet again, as he was tied up helping the ever-busy Mele-from-engineering.

***

            After an additional week of receiving the silent treatment, Ignis decided he wouldn’t let it interrupt his social needs anymore. Instead of moping in his rooms, he took to the grounds, meeting new people and spending more time with Ravus to fill the hole his prince had left in his wake.

            It wasn’t that Prompto and Gladio weren’t good company, but seeing them only reminded Ignis of the many months they had spent in the service and company of their royal friend. Those memories were ones he would always cherish, of course, but now they held a slight twinge of melancholy in their remembrance.

            So it was becoming a normal sight for people in search of the advisor to find him in the former High Commander’s quarters, assisting in matters where one arm was less than favorable or discussing strategy.  Towards the evening they would simply sit in the living room and swap stories, allowing the casual air to infect them and release the tensions they carried elsewhere.

            It was once such evening that Ignis found himself soaking wet at the hands of a leaky reservoir, the cold quickly freezing the moisture to his clothes as they hurried to fix the heating element on the side. By the time the repair was done and the water inside thawed and running again, the Lucian’s hair looked almost the same pale shade as his Tenebraen companion.

            They dusted off as much snow and ice as they could before they entered the heated innards of the small abode, both soon dripping as they melted off their icy shells. They quickly took turns showering off the grime in Ravus’s small but orderly bathroom before reconvening in the kitchen.

            While Noctis seemingly had no problems shaking up routine, Ignis had an ingrained habit of cooking for at least two people. The fact that Ravus enjoyed a personalized meal in favor of standard rebel rations was a pleasant convenience that enabled Ignis to continue with his standard functions.

            Dinner had been cooking in the oven while they’d been working, and the two damp friends happily ate the warm meat and vegetables to fight off the last clinging fingers of the chill.

            “Stay for a drink?” Ravus posed the question amicably as he cleared the small dining table, quickly rinsing the dishes with only minor difficulties. “I had hoped to get your advice on some… personal matters.”

            “I’m honored you’d consider me,” Ignis replied. “I don’t mind staying for a while.”

            He followed the silver-haired warrior into the sitting room, taking his customary place on the couch as he observed the Tenebraen move about the room gathering cups and bottles. The house had slowly been picking up little things from around the area in addition to what Ravus had originally brought with him, lending a more lived in air than the stark bareness it had possessed when they’d first arrived. It suited its occupant well.

            “Excited to get off base for the trip in a few days?” Ignis asked, breaking the ice to ease the commander towards whatever he wanted to talk about.

            “One would think I’d be dead before Ezania gave me clearance to leave after the fiasco last time. Regardless, a break from the same view would be a welcome change, even if I’ll have to make peace with freezing.”

            “Would your personal issue be something to do with being on base all the time?”

            Ravus heaved a sigh as he ran his hand through his still-drying locks before pouring a glass of amber liquid into a short cup and handing it to the younger man as he settled down next to him on the couch with his own. A polite sip burned down Ignis’s throat, the brandy stronger than what was served at royal affairs back in Lucis. He’d never been much of a drinking man, but they had no plans for the next day and he could use something to take a bit of the edge off his own rampant emotions as of late.

            “I am not sure how to begin, to be honest. I had no intention of speaking to anyone about this, but… I am…That is…” The Tenebraen started, shaking his head. “You were not entirely wrong the other day… about Ezania.”

            “So you _do_ fancy her?”

            “Yes and I find myself in a dire need to stop.”

            “Why?” Ignis asked, his brows drawing together.

            “It is… difficult to explain,” he said, sighing again. “When Ardyn, the bastard, gave me my prosthetic arm, something inside me changed. I was stronger, faster, and powerful. And I was distant, from everything save my sister. I did not care if the troops died, I did not care if civilians were unhappy. I merely followed orders until they conflicted with my own plans. It was designed to do that to me, and now that it is gone I have changed again.”

            Ignis brought the glass to his lips a second time, gingerly sipping at the strong drink as he noticed Ravus had already gone through his. He waited for his companion to continue, facing him on the couch with what he hoped was gentle assurance. He was there for Ravus, as Ravus had been there for him that night that felt like a lifetime ago.

            “She’s practically all I can think about lately, which is preposterous considering we are in the middle of a literal war. There are more important things for me to be thinking about, for _her_ to be thinking about. I do not have the time or luxury to court and I doubt she has the patience to indulge me.” He tossed back another glass before pausing for a moment. “But… being away from her is like torture. Standing by her side without being able to speak my mind is just as unbearable.”

            “And I’m beyond honored you trust me enough to tell me all this, but you’ve sought my help because…?”

            “To be perfectly frank, Scientia,” Ravus said, a more relaxed posture taking hold the only tell of how quick the alcohol was hitting his system. “One would have to be blind and dead to not realize you are attractive.”

            Wait…what?

            “Don’t misunderstand- I have no interest in you myself, but you must have had a generous share of admirers through the years,” the other continued. “Especially with how closely you're tied to your nation’s nobility. Whereas I have lived the majority of my life either too young to know what love is or too brainwashed to care. Surely someone experienced like you could give a dumb fool like me some advice?”

            “I, uh, don’t know what to say,” Ignis fumbled, focusing on the now empty glass between his hands. “I think you hold me in too high a regard on such matters. I’m afraid I’m rather naïve myself when it comes to matters of the heart. I’ve only ever loved the once and I’ve never had the courage to say anything.”

            “So we’re both idiots,” said Ravus with a chuckle.

            "So it would seem,” agreed the advisor as they refiled their glasses before downing them in tandem. The buzz was starting to creep up the back of his skull, soothing his tense muscles as it started to work through his system.

            “So, tell me Ignis, in this moment of private honesty- who holds your heart?”

            “Someone I will never in any way deserve. They’re far too… it doesn’t matter. The point is it will never happen. Even if they once shared my feelings, I’m almost certain they don’t anymore.”

            “Have they told you as much?”

            “No,” he sighed, looking sadly down into his newest drink. “But they… they are involved with someone else, it would seem.”

            “Then a drink to your feelings, my friend. Tonight we two love-struck idiots pine together.”

***

            “Are you… _drunk_?!”

            “Shhhhhhhhh,” Ignis laughed, putting his hands over Noctis’s mouth. “Not- not so- _hick_ \- not so loud. Somebody, haha, somebody might hear you.”

            “What the hell happened to you Iggy?” The raven’s eyes were as big as dinner plates, concern radiating from him with as much intensity as the forceful grip keeping him upright.

            “Mmmm, you were too busy to see me, so I was- _hick_ \- was talking with Rav,” Ignis giggled slightly as the younger man helped him into his own room, confused about the new nickname his friend had assigned as he went about settling his drunk cargo on the bed. With a gasp, Ignis sat up from under the borrowed covers and clutched at the royal’s arm, pulling him back before he was out of reach. “Noct, oh goodness, Noct you are _never_ going to believe what I found out about Ravus tonight!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyoooo! Early chapter brought to you by me- who is stuck in the hospital and therefore free to write to my heart's content save for when I have to talk with nurses.
> 
> As always, I'd love to hear from yall so drop them comments and I'll see ya next time, which could be sooner than you think!


	15. 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after scare, what Ignis found out about Ravus, and a familiar face where the gang wasn't expecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's me. Ya girl. Enjoy:)

            His head was pounding, and it felt like his mouth was stuffed full of cotton. The light boring through his eyelids sent regular spikes of agony up to his brain, where the ability to focus was slowly being dragged to the forefront. An attempt to get his arms under him to push up off his stomach left his head spinning and his belly queasy, rendering him prone on his side in the bed once again. And…wait… cracking his eyes open confirmed his suspicions.

            This wasn’t his bed. And he was clad in nothing but his undergarments.

            He was never drinking ever again.

            Where the bloody hell was he anyway? It was obviously much too large to be Ravus’s room, but it didn’t look like the regular cookie-cutter style of the barracks either. Slow and ginger movements let him gradually get into an upright position without aggravating his hangover too much, where he sluggishly studied his surroundings. There was rather little in the way of personal effects, and what was left lying around were small generic things that gave no insights to whose bed he might be occupying.

            A stranger’s bed… with practically no clothes on. A twinge of panic came up at the thought, but even drunk as he’d been before the blackout, Ignis wouldn’t have… _engaged_ with someone. Would he? Oh, Astrals _would_ he?!

            The last thing he clearly remembered was Ravus talking about growing up with Lady Lunafreya in Tenebrae, everything else fading to a big question mark in his brain. What else had he done whilst inebriated last night?

            His shirt was carelessly thrown down next to a chair; his shoes found hiding under a barren desk. Pants… where were his blasted pants? He ran a hand through his messy hair with a sigh, looking around the few objects in the room and under the bed. They weren’t in here.

            “Missing something there Scientia?”

            The very distinct voice of the rebel leader had Ignis about to jump out of his skin. He was in _Ezania’s room_?! He was still only wearing his underwear and an open button up, far too promiscuous to be seen by anyone, let alone someone of standing, but he suddenly found that he was incapable of moving to cover himself. He could feel the red burning across his face, probably shining like a ripe tomato. He was half naked…in Ezania’s bedroom… where he wasn’t quite sure what had happened the night before.

            The woman herself was dressed simply, her clothes obviously leisure wear meant for her private quarters. A simple tank top and loose shorts reaching the middle of her thighs did nothing to hide the strong and lean figure beneath though. Her blond hair twisted over her shoulder in a braid that had clearly been slept on, and her eyes betrayed that fact that she had either woken just before him or hadn’t slept as much as she would have liked to the night before.

            “Get dressed,” she laughed easily as she leaned against the door frame, producing his pants from somewhere just out of sight in the other room. She pushed the article of clothing up to his bared chest before moving to the other side of the room and setting out a glass of water from the pitcher and a pair of white pills. “Take those once you're ready. Your Prince Noctis should be back soon with breakfast.”

            “Noctis was here?”

            “Well these are his quarters; I think it’d be rather odd if he didn’t use them. Wouldn’t you?”

            “Oh… I… I assumed…”

            “Relax Scientia. He just had me come over from down the hall and make sure you didn’t give yourself alcohol poisoning or anything. You were acting like an idiot and half covered in flour, but rest assured- you may have woken up in nothing but your breeches, but your _virtues_ are still intact if that’s what’s got you so worried.” She laughed as she walked away, lightly kicking the door shut behind her.

            True to her word, after Ignis dressed and left the bedroom Noctis arrived with a few bland pastries from the rations center. He ate his perched lightly against the edge of the counter in the sparse kitchenette across from the advisor and rebel, tension tight in his shoulders. Something was bothering him that much was clear.

            Ezania ate quickly before bidding her farewells to get ready for the day and check up on Ravus after their night of poorly moderated drinking. Ignis may not have remembered a majority of the night, but he knew the commander had consumed a fair deal more than he.

            That left Noctis and his advisor alone, for once in the time since their last outing. And it was quiet for a long time. The air was tense and heavy, both knowing something had changed and neither willing to broach the subject.

            “So…” Noctis started, hesitant. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with Ravus then?”

            “Er, yes.”

            “Neat…”

            “He’s good company.”

            “Mmhm.”

            “And how’s Mele?”

            “Oh,” his eyes slid away. “She’s uh, she’s good. Really good. Just doing engineer stuff.”

            “Of course…” Astrals above, when did things between them go so far south? “Have you been picking up any skills with her lately?”

            “Kinda? She showed me how to steer the airships and wire the engines which were pretty cool.” An awkward pause. “What about you and Ravus? Anything interesting happening with that?”

            “Most of our time is spent discussing possible battle plans and looking into new prosthetics. I’m afraid he and I won’t be able to come up with any more concrete fighting ideas until you’ve received the Glacian’s blessing and trained a bit more though.”

            “So you’re just working then?”

            “Well, we’ve had some fun along the way,” Ignis answered, thinking of the many mishaps they’d had that resulted in anything from a slow chuckle to outright laughter from the Tenebraen. It wasn’t a side he let most people see. “And we talk when things get slow. I can’t say I don’t enjoy having someone around who thinks a bit more like I do.”

            “That’s cool, I guess.”

            Noct pushed away from the counter suddenly, moving to clear the remaining food things and dispose of the trash. He was _cleaning._ Maybe this was worse than he’d thought- Noct never cleaned anything without being prompted. It was worrisome too how aggressive the motions of cleaning the plates became. Just as abruptly as he’d started, Noctis threw the sponge back into the water, resting his hands on the edge of the sink and letting his head sag.

            “Why’d you do it?” He asked.

            “Why did I do what?” Ignis responded, confused.

            Noctis turned to look at him, his hair drooping and hiding the beautiful blue eyes Ignis loved so much. He moved slowly to the blond’s side, brushing the messy yellow hair out of the way with his damp fingers.

            “You don’t remember, do you? Earlier, before I left to get Ezania?”

            “My last clear memory took place in Ravus’s front room yesterday evening.”

            “Oh,” the prince responded, sounding disappointed. “Never mind then.” He went back to washing the dishes, his movements slower and more methodical now.

            “What did I do, exactly?”

            “It was nothing, Specs.”

            There was another pregnant lull in the conversation, and Ignis wanted to leave it alone, to not push any further, but the words spilled out anyway- risking a disaster by bringing up the elephant in the room.

            “Are you…upset with me, Noct?”

            “What?” His prince looked at his again. “No. Why would you think that?”

            “It just seems like you’ve been… avoiding me. Or preferring to spend time with others. I don’t know what I’ve done to make you feel such distance is needed, but-”

            “You didn’t do anything wrong, Ignis,” the raven-haired man interjected. “I’m sorry if it came off like you did. I just… have some stuff I need to work through on my own.”

            “Of course, Your Highness.”

***

            When Noctis and Prompto accompanied him to the commander’s quarters later in the morning to check on him they were greeted with a piercing and unimpressed grey and purple stare. The commander seemed to have only just gotten up if the disheveled state of his hair was anything to go by. Ravus stepped aside to reveal Ezania, who had seemingly arrived not too long before them- presumably waking the Tenebraen, laughing by the side of the door, her day not yet requiring the serious composure they usually saw her with.

            “What’s so funny?” Asked Prompto as he whipped out his camera to get a shot of the rebel leader in her mirth. The only answer was her pointing towards the kitchen as she clutched at her sides.

            There was a mountain of baked goods heaped onto the counter in Ravus’s apartments. White, silver, and purple frostings decorated cupcakes and iced sugar cookies. Just looking at it was enough to give someone a cavity, and seated in the center of the mound was a cake with white frosting letters spelling “Happy Birthday” in Ignis’s penmanship.

            Noctis whistled through his teeth at the expansive display, laughing at Ignis’s confused features. It was obvious he’d been the one to make it all, but he had no recollection of the act.

            “You weren’t kidding last night when you said you’d cooked him up a surprise for his birthday,” he laughed, clearly remembering a conversation Ignis couldn’t.

            “I don’t even recall volunteering the information,” Ravus groaned as Ezania pressed a cup and pills into his hand, much like she had with Ignis earlier.

            “I don’t remember it either,” Ignis admitted.

            Ezania picked up a purple cookie shaped like a star and bit into the edge.

            “Well, he can still cook well, even when he’s out of it,” she pronounced, handing another cookie to the commander. “Eat, sugar helps with hangovers.”

            And so, they gathered around for a planned, and subsequently forgotten, surprise party for their friend. Prompto shot off a text to the missing Shield, and soon they were all there for a last moment of calm before setting back into the storm.

***

            Ghorovas Rift was cold enough that Ignis could feel his bones turning blue. There was only a single rail line through the pass that skipped where they were needing to go, so Ezania captained an airship through the ice to the far side of the canyon where a ledge jutted out far enough for them to land.

            The happy and mirthful attitude they’d seen from her the day previous as they’d celebrated Ravus was now gone- replaced by a cold and calculating aura of absolute order. Ravus stood beside her, reading the numbers and calculations on the screens with a similar air of marshal authority. Noctis and his retainers may have been good fighters, but the two people in the cockpit were army commanders through and through.

            “Grab your gear and get ready to head down,” Ezania said, coolly turning and grabbing a rappelling pack from the rack in the bay. “Daylight is getting to be in short supply, especially this close to Gralea so let’s make this quick.”

            The others followed suit, a pair of rebel troopers sticking behind to watch the ship as the six of them embedded picks into the ice and strapped on harnesses. Ignis had only ever been rappelling once during his crownsguard training and was careful to take cues from the more experienced Gladio on the way down the long Cliffside to the snow-swept valley below.

            Noct had suggested warping to the bottom for the sake of time, but as they descended it became clear to Ignis that the canyon was deceptively deeper than it looked. The ice and snow refracted and clung together- laying several false illusions of the end. To have made the jump in actuality would be beyond even the most experienced magic user and would have been sure to drain Noct to stasis for days- given if he could actually survive the fall after his mana ran out.

            “As far as we are aware, we are the first mortals to enter this uncharted territory,” Ravus reminded them as they settled into the knee-deep powder at the base. “Stick together and take heed to be cautious.”

            Ignis could feel the ice below his feet, the accumulation of years being compacted under the might of the Glacian’s power. The snow moved easily enough on top as the wind blew by, but the layers underneath quickly started to make his legs burn with the effort of pushing through towards Shiva’s prone corpse.

            They tied a rope between them so as to not get separated in the blinding white of the blizzard, pushing against the snow and wind ever closer to what they hoped would bring answers. More than once, Ignis stumbled in the white to be battered down further by the icy gale. Only once one of his companions came to his aid did he find his feet under him again. It would seem though that the further they pressed on, the more everyone seemed to struggle.

            “Look there,” Ezania called over the howling air, pointing to the distant cadaver.

            The wind whipped harder as a dark splotch appeared on the edge of the white, growing larger as they came closer. It wasn’t until they were nearly a few dozen paces apart that the image came clear and Ravus greeted her with surprise.

            “Gentiana.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyyyyyyy. I hope this chapter makes sense- I'm on a morphine drip or something so things get kinda wacky. 
> 
> Drop them comments, I love hearing from people, it makes me happy and shamelessly boosts my writing ego. See ya on the flip side!!


	16. 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iggy gets a message from beyond the grave, as well as a warning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yoooooooooo. I'm back again- this time with fewer drugs haha. Enjoy!

            The white of the blizzard momentarily eased as the high messenger raised a hand in greeting. Her long dark hair moved softly around her face and the icy might of the Glacian did not seem to affect her.

            “Welcomed are the Chosen King and his companions,” she said serenely with her eyes still closed. The wind picked up, howling through the rift and lifting the snow and ice in a barrier of white as she continued. “May providence shine in the hearts of men, as ye enter into Revelation.”

            Ignis could feel the rope go slack as a chunk of ice hurled through the heavy wind force, snapping the line that connected him to the others. The power of the air was enough to drive him to his knees once again, the snow enveloping him as it began to pile ever higher.

            “The Caretaker has begun a reckoning in the world of man, even greater than that which the Six had envisioned,” Gentiana’s voice echoed on the wind. “Awakening the Remnant of The God’s Grace will shed destruction on our star if not done correctly and with great care. His Gift to you may also become your curse- for if ill fate befalls you, you shall see your world fall to ruin with no escape.”

            “I thank you for the warning and I will go forward with caution,” Ignis answered to the white- noting he could hear the high messenger’s voice softly speaking in several other places. This must be an illusion put forth so she could address them all individually at the same time.

            “There is another matter to tend to before you leave this both cursed and sacred ground,” she continued. “A promise drafted between Messenger and Oracle, should the price of the covenant take her before she delivered her words in person. It is with sorrow that I give you her message in her place.”

            The white of eternal winter filled his vision, blocking out everything else before clearing to a new and different sight. He was standing in a hallway, sun shining in through a window onto the white floors and purple accented walls. Servants bearing uniforms of House Nox Fleuret rushed to and fro, paying the Lucian in their midst no mind. To his left, the light and texture faded away into nothing, and to his right, they grew ever brighter. Taking this as an indication of where he was meant to go, Ignis followed this pattern throughout the vision of Fenestala Manor.

            “-want him to be happy,” came Lady Lunafreya’s voice from behind a door left slightly ajar. “The covenants are stronger than even I had anticipated, and I grow weaker every day.”

            “The Oracle’s duties for the Days of The King are strenuous,” Gentiana agreed from her place standing beside the blonde girl as Ignis entered the room, neither woman acknowledging the man standing in the middle of the memory. “She would be wise to rest before heading to the city of water to address the Goddess of the Seas.”

            “I fear the worst may come from the moment I stand upon the Altar,” Lunafreya confessed. “I know the Gods have set forth a plan and all the wonderings of the world must happen for a reason, and I know what I must do for the sake of my calling…” Sadness filled her words, the Luna of the past sat in her chair bearing an expression of pain as she communed with her spiritual guardian. “But it does not make me any less afraid to do it.”

            “It is a heavy burden to bear on such young shoulders, for King and Oracle both,” the Messenger supported, placing a hand on Lady Lunafreya’s arm. “And in a perfect world, the sins of the fathers would not carry to become the sins of their sons, but even the Six are not perfect and neither is this world they have created.”

            The younger Nox Fleuret opened her mouth to respond but was overcome by a surge of coughing. She shoulders shook and she bent over in her chair as deep, wet rasps echoed in the room, the white handkerchief she held close to her mouth coming away red with moisture when the fit had passed.

            “I fear I do not have much left, my friend,” she sighed softly, looking at the blood staining the cloth. She shifted her gaze upwards to Gentiana, a sad smile on her lips. “If I should fall before I have a chance to reunite with Noctis, would you grant to me a favor?”

            “My lady needs merely ask, and I shall see it done if possible.”

            “I’d like you to give a message to one of his retainers. Ignis is his name, and he is tied closer to the King than any other. Noctis speaks of their friendship often in the letters Umbra brings me. If I do not make it past the trials of the covenant,” she began, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. “I should like you to ask him to… to take care of Noctis in my stead. I know he cares deeply, and I would rest easier knowing he is with someone who will protect him with their all.”

            “Should the need arise,” Gentiana said as white began to unravel the edges of their room, the cold seeping back into Ignis’s bones. “I will let your wish be known.”

            The vision cleared, leaving Ignis once again alone in the knee-deep snow at the mercy of the High Messenger’s power and the effect of Shiva’s body.

            “Do you accept this task?” Gentiana’s voice sounded by his ear, and he turned to see her staring at him, her eyes open wide and causing him to shudder for a moment from the power they held.

            His tongue was glued to the top of his mouth and his throat clenched shut to forbid any sound from passing, so Ignis merely nodded while trying to maintain some sense of composure.

            “Then let the promise be fulfilled,” she said, her gaze drifting shut once again. The snow swirled and the rope pulled taught, reconnecting with its severed companion indicating the moments of private discussion with the High Messenger were over. “Now, the King of Kings bears the Ice Mother’s blessings, and his comrades have been given Enlightenment. Your task here is done; you would do well to leave this place before the night falls fully.”

            There was a lurching in his gut as the snow spiraled high around them like a tornado of frost before it settled again to reveal the base of the cliff they’d rappelled, their gear still safely tucked away in the icy cracks. At least Gentiana had saved them the trek back.

            Climbing the mountainside made his arms burn and cry in agony, and he had to stop for a moment when they finally reached the top to allow the shaky feeling in his arms and legs to subside before he could walk through the trampled path to the bay of the airship and drop to the metal floor with a sigh. His company felt much the same if their similar reactions were anything to go by.

            After a few minutes of rest, Ezania started up the engine and set a course back towards the base on the other side of the mountain ridge. There was a quiet and contemplative mood throughout the ship as they flew, Noctis fingering the Ring of The Lucii while Prompto sat next to him fiddling with the thick wristband he always wore. Gladio was situated at the ends of Ignis’s legs, and Ravus stood silently with a hand resting on the back of their pilot’s chair.

            No one talked in the hours they spent in the air.

***

            Ignis retired to his quarters once they got back to base, exhaustion wearing at him until he was dragging his feet through the snow to reach the barracks and felt tempted to just settle down on a frosty bench outside and deal with the frostbite it would bring later.

            But he was glad he’d persevered. Someone had come around and lit the fire in the grate, leaving the room warm and toasty for when he came back. He suspected Ezania had given the order over the radio as they’d circled in onto the landing pad, wanting to make sure none of the King’s guards got sick in case the Empire decided to come back.

            A knock on his door prevented Ignis from falling into his bed, clothes and all like he wanted to. He sighed heavily, something it seemed he was doing a lot lately, and he pushed his shoes to the side of the bed as he went to see who was coming around.

            He was pleasantly surprised to find Noct on the other side.

            “Hey,” the royal started lamely. “I know you’re probably tired, I’m beat as hell myself, but I was wondering if you had a minute to talk?”

            “There will always be time for you, Noct,” Ignis said with a tired smile. If the gesture was ruined a bit by a poorly stifled yawn, eh, he tried. “Please, come in.”

            He stepped aside, watching with amusement as his charge perched himself on the end of the bed calling Ignis’s name. The younger man ran a hand through his dark locks, seemingly just as exhausted as his advisor.

            “What did Gentiana say to you?” Noct eventually asked, a small yawn escaping from him as well.

            “To proceed with caution when concerning The Remnant and she passed along a message from Lady Lunafreya.”

            “You got a message from Luna too?” Noct asked, perking up. “What’d it say?”

            “It was a request that I look out for you, should she be unable to do it herself.”

            “Like you wouldn’t do that anyway. You’ve got my back don’t you?”

            “Always,” he responded mirthfully, gingerly setting himself down against the footboard beside his leader. “What did she have to speak with you about?”

            “Well…quite a bit actually, but I can spare you the boring bits until we’ve all got some sleep yeah? That way I only have to explain it once.”

            “A capital idea, Noct.”

            Ignis flopped back onto the mattress, not really caring at that point that it was undignified. He was sore and tired, and besides- it was only Noctis. The advisor had been with his prince for the majority of his life, Noct had gotten plenty of chances through the years to see Ignis be ill-refined. What was one more instance in the face of everything they’d done that day?

            “Can I hang here for a minute Iggs? I don’t want to have to go back outside to get to my room yet.”

            “By all means,” Ignis said with a halfhearted wave of his hand from the bed, dimly noting with pleasure that Noct wanted to stay with him for a while. “Make yourself comfortable.”

            He felt the weight settle next to him on the bed, slowly fighting his eyes back open from the verge of sleep to see his charge flash him a sleepy smile. It reminded him of when they were children and Noctis would sneak down to Ignis’s room after having a nightmare. They’d curl up together in the covers and Ignis would tell funny stories until his prince’s eyes began to droop with tiredness again and he’d nuzzle up under the blond’s chin to sleep.

            Ignis could feel the stress of whatever had been holding them apart break as Noctis, for all his resistance to the pull of exhaustion, wandered off to sleep in his advisor’s bed, curled up against the older man just like he had when they were little kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love these two little idiots. Don't you? Finally, on the verge of getting their crap together thank the Six.


	17. 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up with his not-boyfriend, going to meetings, and having magical misunderstandings are all just part of a day's work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo- enjoy this slightly-longer-than-normal chapter, and I'll see you at the end!

            The subtle smell of wood burning out in the fireplace and the warm pressure against his arm and chest were enough to make the barely conscious Ignis smile. The air still had a bit of a chill to it, the dying flames not being enough to remove the evidence of winter outside entirely. He could feel his prince nuzzling up into the crook of his neck, soft even breathing ghosting along the advisor’s collarbones as his charge dreamed in his arms.

            His stomach gave a giddy jump at that thought as heat spread across his face in mildly tempered embarrassment. Noctis, rightful ruler of Lucis, King of Kings and Chosen of the Gods, the love of his life, was curled up flush against his skin like it was second nature. They’d of course slept in close quarters before, the tent they were used to using on the road only had so much space, but it hadn’t ever been like this. Sure Ignis would sometimes wake up to the prince star-fishing out, his limbs tangling with the two retainers on either side, which were typically Prompto and himself, but this was different. This was…intimate, what with the way Noct’s arm curled around Ignis’s chest so his hand could fist in the blond’s shirt, and how their legs tangled together at the base of the bed.

            The advisor’s heart melted when the prince breathed a little sigh and mewled, his body contracting around him as wakefulness started to take over dreams. Small motions and little twitches were all Ignis had to follow along with the course of his friend’s body waking up from its slumber before Noct finally shifted his head out from under Ignis’s chin to look at him.

            “Gmrning,” the royal mumbled, the words not quite forming on tired lips. A flush across his cheeks was the only indication that he was embarrassed to have fallen asleep in the other’s bed.

            “Good morning,” his advisor chuckled, bemused by the sleepy beauty of his prince.

            “M’sorry for crashing,” he yawned, rubbing his eyes.

            Noct was slow to detangle his limbs and sit up, running his fingers through his messy black hair. Ignis, for the most part, was content to lay there and watch, committing every movement to memory. When Noctis stood up and stretched though, he knew the time for idle dreaming was over. They weren’t a couple, and this wasn’t some sort of sitcom on television- they had work to do, starting with getting the gang together to discuss the events of Ghorovas Rift.

            The two quickly got cleaned up before stopping by Noct’s rooms to get a change of clothing and heading on their way to meet the others. Their small group trickled into Ezania’s meeting room slowly, each showing some discomfort from the strenuous activities the day before.

            “Thank you for meeting me this morning,” Ezania said, her tone all business. “While I respect the privacy of certain matters, I feel it is important we discuss the events of our latest outing. To my knowledge, we have all received some sort of information from the High Messenger, and naturally, the King will be sharing his part of this, but if anything you have learned individually could be of use to us in this fight I ask that you share it now.”

            “I got something,” Prompto piped up, shifting nervously as he twisted his fingers around the black wristband he wore. “Uh, I know people have been saying the engineers are having troubles hacking into the airships’ new systems to override the original programming. Turns out, I can probably help with that.”

            “Gentiana gave you tech support?” Gladio huffed.

            “No,” Prompto said softly, looking down. “She told me the truth my parents never would. MT’s have those code prints, you know? Just like me. I’m not… I’m not normal, you guys. I…”

            Ravus shifted uncomfortably in the back of the room, his eyes lowering in what looked to Ignis suspiciously like shame. Something told him that whatever Prompto had found out, the High Commander already knew and had elected not to tell them.

            “I was made in Nifelhiem,” Prompto finally blurted. “In a… a _factory._ The MT’s- they’re all clones made to be monsters. _I’m_ a clone…I’m one of them.”

            “Who cares where you come from?” All eyes turned to Noctis as he spoke. “You may not be able to change where you were born, but you were raised in Lucis like us. As far as I’m concerned, you're a crown citizen all the way.”

            “This is no longer a fight between nations,” Ignis said solemnly. “We fight now because we have the right to live. _You_ have the right to live, in whatever way pleases you, regardless of this information. You’ll always have a place with us.”

            “Heartfelt and useful,” Ezania nodded, placing a hand on the young blond’s shoulder. “Thank you for volunteering such news with the rest of us. Any other enlightenments to share, men?”

            It was quiet for a beat before Noctis drew their attention his way with a cough.

            “Gentiana is not who we thought,” he started. “When we were separated, she showed me the truth about herself. She met us in the valley not because she serves the Glacian, but because she _is_ the Glacian. She gave me her blessing, as well as the Trident of The Oracle.”

            A surprised murmur ran through the group, Ravus’s head snapping up sharply at the revelation of his messenger’s true identity.

            “There’s more,” Noct continued, waiting for the others to quiet. “Ardyn is more than just the Accursed. He was meant to be the first king of Lucis, but the crystal rejected him and selected his brother instead. Every power of the Lucian line we thought we could use to our advantage is useless, he has access to all the same magic.”

            “Great,” Gladio groaned. “And if he’s been around that long, he probably knows how to use it better than us too.”

            “Assuredly, however, the Gods blessings should help to make up for the difference,” Ravus mused. “But what I find concerning is the fact that Gentiana has been the Messenger of my family for generations… surely someone must have known of her nature. Why would she leave us in the dark?” His obvious question of ‘why didn’t she help us’ was expressed only by the sadness in the Tenebraen’s eyes.

            “Perhaps it was knowledge given solely to the Oracle,” Ignis offered. “It would stand to reason Lady Lunafreya would need to know the truth in order to forge her covenants.”

            “Which is why she was so much weaker than I had expected when I saw her last,” Ravus agreed. “She bore not the weight of two divine contracts, but three. Four if she managed to contact the Draconian, which we are unsure of. Meeting with Leviathan would have most assuredly pushed her body over the brink and into the depths of oblivion, even if Izunia had not interfered.”

            “Did Shiva by chance give any indication as to the best way to combat the Chancellor, King Noctis?” asked Ezania. “Surely an Astral who claims to love mankind so much would impart knowledge onto her favored champion.”

            “I just know that we need the crystal, but we don’t know if it’s still in Zegunautus Keep. Now that I have the Ring of the Lucii in addition to the Royal Arms, the crystal should be the last piece of the puzzle. I haven’t been told what comes after we gather all three.”

            “So we follow blindly once again,” Ignis sighed. “Perhaps we can find out more from another source.”

            “Your connection to The Remnant is the first option that comes to mind,” Ravus interjected. “Has he spoken to you as of late?”

            “No,” he answered. “He’s been quiet for some time, though I think if I concentrate I can reach him.”

            “Then that’s what we will try first,” decided Ezania, drawing the meeting to a close.

***

            Ignis wasn’t used to being aware of the transition save for when he woke up. He typically was falling off to sleep when he found himself in the meadow, the two worlds seaming together indiscernibly. Now though, Ignis was laying on his bed with his eyes closed, his mind teasing at the edge of his plane that dropped off into the abyss he’d come to know would ferry him between their realities.

            However, every time that Ignis thought he could proverbially reach out and grab the rift, it shifted away. Frustration began mounting in earnest after the fourth try, disrupting the calm mental focus he’d been trying to maintain. He sat up and shook his head after a fifth failed attempt, knowing the anger would only push the barrier further away than it already was.

            “No luck?” Noctis asked from his seat by the desk. He’d volunteered to stay with Ignis just in case something was to go wrong as they attempted this new way of reaching the supernatural being.

            “I can feel where the gap is, but I can’t _reach_ it,” he huffed. “Astrals why is this so hard?”

            “Yeah Iggy,” the prince said dryly. “Why can’t you just automatically reach across dimensions with your brain on the first try?”

            “Haha,” he deadpanned. “You’re hilarious.”

            “Hey,” Noctis said, more sincerely this time. “What we’re trying to do isn’t easy, and you have nothing to go off of really. Take a break and we’ll try again in a little while.”

            “When did you become the reasonable one?”

            “Maybe your good influences are just finally rubbing off on me.”

            Ignis had to huff a laugh at that, his prince’s humor taking the edge of the irritability. Standing, he moved to the window of his room and looked out over the frosty forest they’d been calling home.

            “Pretty isn’t it?” Noct moved to stand by him, leaning up against the window’s edge. “We never saw snow like this in Insomnia. The heat was too much for frost, even in the winter.”

            “We got our fair share of fog though,” Ignis agreed. “That was your favorite part of the drive to school in the winter.”

            “Fog was a regular,” he agreed. “And it was way cool around the buildings too.”

            They didn’t talk for a while after that, just standing together and admiring the world. The silence felt easy in a way that it hadn’t been for weeks, and it let Ignis breathe like a tight vise had finally been removed from around his chest. He hoped they never had another instance where he felt like Noct was leaving him for someone better. In fact, he would just have to work doubly hard to make sure he was always the best, and then there would be no need to worry.

            “Hey Iggy?” Noct asked, breaking the calm as he turned his attention back to his advisor.

“Could you maybe help me look over some things Mele and Ezania gave me? I’m not quite sure what to make sense of some of it, and you’d probably be better at deciphering than I would.”

            “By all means, I am here to aid you after all.”

            “Neat, I’ve got the papers over here.”

            As Noct walked back to the desk, he skirted the standing mirror Ignis had covered with a spare jacket. The fabric fell when the prince walked past, and Ignis felt a lurch in his middle as he bent to pick it up, catching a glimpse of a third person in the room. The jacket was dropped back on the ground as Ignis exchanged it for his daggers, whirling around to be greeted by the sight of…nothing.

            “What’s wrong?” Noct asked, drawing his own blade from the Armiger, not in a position to have seen the intruder.

            “I thought…”

            He turned back to the mirror, and sure enough, there was the visage of a person standing by the door. His red hair draped out of the black hood of his robe, and the top half of his face was covered in the shadow cast by the cowl. Ignis heaved a sigh, dismissing his weapons as his mind registered it was a face he recognized.

            “Desserpmi m’I ,now ruoy no ti dah tsomla uoy. Em hcaer ot gniyrt erew uoy?” The otherworldly man said as he moved to the forefront of the reflection.

            Noctis gave a yelp, moving back around the desk to stare at the anomaly. His eyes widened and his lips parted to make a face of confusion and awe.

            “Tuoba hcum os draeh ev’I sitcoN ecnirP eht eb tsum uoy dna,” The Remnant continued, his words not making sense. He lowered his hood, looking expectantly between the two of them. “Deen uoy did tahw?”

            “What is he saying,” Noct whispered as he leaned into Ignis’s shoulder, not breaking eye contact with the gateway in front of them.

            “I have no idea,” the advisor admitted.

            Their unexpected guest looked back and forth between them, something seeming to light up in his eyes as he realized something. Moving about within the reflection, the redhead gathered several pieces of paper and a pen from the desk, altering the counterparts on his side of the glass without disrupting theirs.

            He scrawled out a message on one slip, pressing noticeably harder than was necessary before holding it up to them.

            ‘Drawkcab sti ,rorrim eht’ it read, eliciting another sound of confusion from the pair before the Remnant flipped the paper over where the ink had bled through, revealing the message he’d intended to send. The black words ‘the mirror, its backward’ stared out from the white sheet, clicking things into place.

            He set the page back on the desk, writing again as the two watched, waiting for the note to be flipped around. ‘You got so close to reaching me on your own, Ignis. Good job. What did you need?’

            The Remnant flashed them a smile as he held up the paper, Ignis picking up his own and writing out a response.

            ‘We need to talk.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rem is 10000% proud of the Iggy. Now things will get fun! Don't be afraid of that comments box below- talk to me so I can love you in all the fun platonic ways. 
> 
> Also- for those of you who wished me well with my hospital extravaganza- the good vibes seem to be working. If all goes well I'll be finishing out my recovery at home starting next week:)


	18. 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Take away the moon and stars  
> Let darkness veil the skies  
> I'll find my way through the dark  
> For my light shines in your eyes."
> 
> AKA its time to get feelsy.

            Pages were flying in front of the mirror as Ignis and The Remnant sat and exchanged messages, flipping things back and forth for the other to read. Noctis, for his part, stood to the side and observed the easy attitude that the other two adopted- a testament to the familiarity they’d gained as Ignis studied under the ancient’s guide in a world that wasn’t quite real.

            After what felt like a lifetime, Ignis let the pen droop and tilted his head back with a sigh before looking over and flashing the prince a smile.

            “He thinks he might have a way to help us figure out a few lost ends on Ardyn,” he summarized. “There’s a library full of knowledge that’s been lost or forgotten, I’ve been there before. He’ll help me get across the gap so I can go back tonight and see if I can find anything that will be of use.”

            A quiet gasp drew their attention back to the mirror, The Remnant still sitting on the ground, looking around the room with a concerned look on his face. He clutched his head suddenly with another groan, the red locks spilling forward over his shoulder as he hunched in pain and the glass shattered-startling a shout from both men and breaking the tie between worlds.

            “What happened?” Noctis asked. “Where’d he go?”

            “I’m not sure,” Ignis said, dusting bits of glass off his pants as he stood up. “But that was not how things usually end. I’ll ask about it later.”

            “You guys okay?” Yelled Prompto as he rushed into the room. “I was walking by and heard something break and people yelling. Whoa- dudes, what’d the mirror do to you guys?”

            “You missed it,” Noct laughed, nerves settling after the change of pace.

            “Missed what?”

            “Iggy’s supernatural conference call,” the prince chuckled, picking mirror shards off the edge of his jacket. “It was with a redhead too, just your type.”

            “Eh, I wouldn’t say that,” Ignis joked, his heartbeat returning to normal and his body relaxing. “Not unless our Prompto is one who appreciates, shall we say, _older_ gentlemen?”

            “Well, how old we talking?” The younger blond wiggled his brows with a giggle, content to play along with the tease.

            “Oh, I’d say he looks about twenty-five,” hummed Noct, eliciting a smile from his friend.

            “Give or take a few thousand years in actuality,” Ignis added. “He’s aged quite well all things considered.”

            The humor in the youngest’s face faded to confusion. “You guys are pulling my leg right?”

            The two merely shared a look before brushing by to report the updated plan to Ezania, Prompto following in their wake.

            “Guys? Are you being serious right now?!”

***

            With the dusk came a bout of restlessness. Pacing his rooms gave him no relief, so Ignis donned his heavy jacket and tied his boots tight before headed out into the silent night. Winter swirled softly in the air, muffling his steps and freezing his breath as he wandered the empty paths of the hidden rebel base, for once at peace in its heart. Come the black of night, the only bustle here would be the outposts, ever ready to warn in case of an impending attack.

            For the better part of an hour, Ignis walked with no particular destination in mind, just searching for a way to rid himself of the extra energy. He crossed paths with no one else, the lanes’ usual occupants nestled into their beds back in the barracks waiting for the morning to resume their battle.

            His thoughts turned to his prince, who seemed to finally be accepting his presence again after what felt like an eternity. Ignis still held concerns, though. Especially after the comment he’d made of needing to work something out on his own. Ignis had never been good at watching from the sideline.

            Almost like his thoughts had summoned him, Ignis spied a familiar dark splotch sitting down in the distant white, growing clearer as he continued his stroll.

            “What’s got you out here? Can’t sleep?”

            Noct turned from his place on the bench as Ignis approached. He was bundled up in one of his thicker black coats, his raven hair curling around the edges of a scarf peeking out of the collar.

            “Something like that,” the prince chuckled, scooting over and patting the space beside him. “What about you? It’s getting late, shouldn’t you be getting ready to meet with your friend for leads?”

            “There’s time yet before I have to go,” Ignis said as he settled next to the prince. “Besides, I’m not very tired. It should be easier to get across if I wait a bit longer.”

            Noctis was quiet for a moment, looking up towards the heavens. “Do you remember when we were little,” he started, leaning back into the bench. “And we would sneak out of our rooms at night and go up to the roof? I always pointed out the shapes in the stars, so you started learning all the constellations we could see. It took you weeks to teach me them all.”

            “You were rather easily distracted, if memory serves. You always did hate a non-action related lesson.”

            “Not with you,” he corrected. “Learning from you as a kid was like a game. It was fun, if disastrous at times.”

            “Like when you managed to catch a pot of _water_ on fire?” Ignis laughed, remembering the sheer panic that had overtaken his prince with cries of ‘how is that even possible?!’ echoing in his ears.

            “You’ll never let me live that one down will you?”

            “Why should I? It _is_ one of my favorite memories, after all.”

            “Me nearly burning down the Citadel when you were seven is what you call your favorite memory?” Noct looked at him with disbelief and humor, clearly laughing internally. “You’re a strange one, Specs. That’s for sure.”

            “Perhaps not the threat of imminent immolation itself,” Ignis corrected. “But what came after was not something I’ll soon forget. I’d been serving you for nearly a year, but that night, after cleaning up the mess while you fretted about what your father would say… it was the first time you’d ever called me your friend.”

            Ignis looked up at the stars, noticing from the corner of his eye that Noctis’s expression shifted to something a little softer, his blue eyes tracking the advisor’s scarred face.

            “You’d called me your assistant before,” Ignis continued, watching the silvery flecks sparkle in the inky black sky above the white forests. “You’d even addressed me as your companion. But that night a maid came to help fix the kitchen and get things back where they belonged, and you introduced me as your friend,” he chuckled, a feeling of nostalgia pulling at his heart. “And I was _so proud_ about it too.”

            “Yeah,” Noct laughed. “And all I could think was that I was happy to have a kid my age around, but I was scared of looking stupid even though I knew you wouldn’t really care. I was really lucky to have you as a kid growing up- and I still am.”

            “I’ll be ever by your side,” Ignis smiled softly, turning to look at his charge again. “As long as you’ll have me.”

            “I don’t deserve to have you, Iggy,” his prince said, sadness leaking into his voice. “Everything you’ve done… the things you sacrificed…” He reached out and gently took the glasses off Ignis’s face, running a thumb gently over the silvery scars and observing the off-white color of his eyes. “I’ve tried to ignore it, to make a space to feel what I feel without bothering anyone… but I’ve never been good at that. You’re so amazing Iggy, and I’m sorry if I’ve been making you feel like you weren’t important after everything. It’s just that I feel… guilty… for being the reason you suffered.”

            “Don’t be,” He said, his hands shaking as he reached up to clasp his prince’s cold fingers in his own. “I will gladly walk through all the horrors of this world if it means I get to stand by your side when we finally find peace.”

            Noctis dipped his eyes to stare at their entwined palms, twisting his fingers to lock them together. Ignis gave them a slight squeeze, hoping to reassure his charge after his heartfelt confession.

            “Iggy,” Noct said, his tone still shaking. “Do you know what Mele and I usually do all day?”

            “As I understand it she’s been showing you the controls and constructions of the airships,” Ignis said, frowning at the sudden change of topic.

            “Yeah, there’s that, but that’s not all. I’ve been hanging out with her so much because I’ve had a lot on my mind, and she’s outside the situation, you know? I could talk to her and she wouldn’t be biased, because she isn’t involved.”

            “Isn’t involved in what exactly?”

            “In _this_ Ignis,” Noct sighed exasperatedly. “You act like it’s not happening and I act like it’s not happening and we _never talk about it_. I don’t know what goes on inside your head, but I know that the moment I realized it was something I wanted, it freaked me out at first.”

            “And for the sake of clarity, what is ‘it’ exactly?” His heartbeat was kicking up into overdrive, and he could feel his lungs contract. Oh Astrals, what was Noct doing? He couldn’t possibly be saying what Ignis thought he was.

            “I would have done it, you know,” Noct said softly- fearfully almost. “That night when it was just us in the forest waiting for the others. But I looked at you and all I could see was a man who’d been hurt because I’m a screw-up.”

            “I made my own choice, Noct. It wasn’t your fault.”

            “If I’d worked harder you wouldn’t have had to protect me. If I’d been stronger it would have turned out differently.”

            “There’s no point in ‘if’, Noctis,” Ignis interrupted gently. “We can’t go back. We can’t change what’s happened. I don’t hold you accountable, nor do I regret what’s come of it, so let it go.”

            “How can you say that so easily?”

            “Perhaps it’s your father’s advice making an impact on me.”

            “My father?”

            “The first day we met, King Regis told me that one cannot lead by standing still. A king pushes onward always, accepting the consequences and never looking back. I suppose that same concept can be applied to your advisor. My actions are my own, and you do not need to feel responsible for them in any way.”

            “You aren’t just saying that to spare my feelings, are you?”

            “Noct, when have I ever not told you when you were being an idiot? I promised at the beginning to be honest, and I am a man who prides himself on keeping his promises.”

            “Then… In that case, I want to give you something,” Noct declared, setting Ignis’s glasses on the bench behind them and reaching into his coat pocket. “Close your eyes.”

            Confusion prickled across his skin like the cold winter wind, but Ignis obeyed. Eyes now closed, he listened as Noctis shifted and shuffled on the bench, the one hand never letting go of his advisor’s. There was an air of expectancy as Ignis wondered what on Eos his prince could want to give him enough to carry it on his person, even at this strange hour of the night.

            All the thoughts and questions came to a crashing halt as a foreign pair of soft, shy lips gently settled on his own. His heart stopped beating… He couldn’t breathe… Time itself seemed to slow as the prince did what Ignis had always been too afraid to. The fear of rejection, the fear of dismissal, the fear of never being enough or wanted, they all faded away like a whisper on the breeze.

            It took him a minute to remember how his body worked and gently, ever so gently, press back into the kiss. His spare hand slowly found its way to the side of the younger man’s neck, pulling him closer under the light of the moon. How fitting that he should find his peace in the night beside his Noctis.

 _His_ Noctis.

            A smile broke free, so large and wide that he had to pull away. It stretched his lips as far as they would go and he could feel the muscles of his face ache, but he couldn’t stop. _His Noctis_ _._ Blue eyes met milky white, a similar feeling of joy pooling in their depths. His hands pushed their way into silky black locks, pulling him back in for another peck on the mouth before pressing their foreheads together and contenting himself with looking unabashedly into those beautiful eyes like the sea.

            “It’s getting late,” Ignis sighed after a few more kisses. “I shouldn’t keep The Remnant waiting…”

            “I’ll walk you back,” Noct smiled, tangling their hands together as he stood and started pulling Ignis back towards the barracks.

            It was like a dream having Noctis curled around his arm, resting his head on Ignis’s shoulder as they moved in a blissful haze. Noctis liked him. Noctis _kissed_ him.

            They arrived at his door far too early for his liking.

            “Well,” Noct said. “I suppose this is goodnight.”

            Ignis placed a hand under the prince’s chin and tilted his face upwards to press another kiss to his lips.

            “Goodnight, my prince,” he breathed. He wanted to say those three other, special little words, but they stuck in his mouth like a fire. Noctis finally let go of his hands and began to walk backward away, giving a small wave with a promise of meeting in the morning before rounding the corner at the end of the hall.

            Ignis slipped into his rooms, closing the door and collapsing onto the bed. Sleep claimed him with a smile on his face not too long after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S ABOUT FRICKEN TIME DONTCHA THINK?! God these two will be the death of me. I will go down with this ship and nobody can change that. IgNoct for life, yall.


	19. 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All magic has a price, and sometimes gifts are more than they seem.

            He came to next to The Remnant’s pavilion, confusion gripping him as he took in the changes to this other world. The grass, usually green and springy lay limp and yellow across the earth. A heavy layer of dark clouds blotted out a fair amount of the light, and the old stones looked even more withered than before.

            He crossed through the archway to see the redheaded man leaning heavily against the wooden table, his runes scattered haphazardly across the deep brown surface, almost like he’d accidentally dropped them and didn’t have the energy to gather them up again.

            The ancient cast him a look as he ascended the steps, revealing dark purple circles under his eyes and an appearance of pure exhaustion.

            “We must hurry to the library if we are to find what you seek,” he said weakly.

            “You seem unwell,” Ignis said, reaching out as his companion made to move away from the table’s support and after only one shaky step immediately collapsed.

            “I overdid things this morning,” The Remnant gasped, wrapping an arm over Ignis’s shoulder as he helped him up. “It has been centuries since I tried to view the mortal realm on my own, and I overestimated the length I could hold the magic without the guardian interfering. I will recover, but it cannot be allowed to hinder us now.”

            Of course- this must be how The Remnant reacted to stasis sickness. He wondered about this guardian he mentioned, but something told him now was not the time to ask. Instead, Ignis held tight to the arm around his neck and wrapped his own around the other man’s waist for good measure as they headed towards the stone bridge.

            A rapid thundering of paws on the ground was the prelude to Gra’ath breaking free of the woods to meet them halfway across the rock walkway.

            _“You are not to cross the bridge, Zara,”_ the cat growled softly. _“You know the price.”_

“I do, but I cannot be bothered by it now.”

            _“You do not have enough to keep up with him after your foolhardy actions earlier. It is best if you stay here.”_

“If I wanted advice, Gra, I would have asked for it. Besides, we need to go to the pools.”

            _“If you lack the strength to walk the forest on your own, then you certainly lack the strength to use the pools. Go back.”_

“I don’t intend to use them myself,” The Remnant coughed. “That’s why I have Ignis with me.”

            There was a pause as the two supernatural creatures looked at each other, big yellow eyes boring down unwaveringly for a moment before sliding away.

            _“He will need free use of his hands if he is to go with you into the caverns. Come, I will carry you in his stead.”_

            The arms slid away from around Ignis as The Remnant fell more than climbed onto Gra’ath’s back, settling slouched over between his front two sets of shoulders. They walked across the bridge, Gra’ath slowing slightly as they entered the woods and his cargo hissed in pain.

            _“I told you it would be too much.”_

“I’m fine,” The Remnant gasped from his perch. “To the library, if you please.”

            _“I haven’t the patience for your masochism today. Get on behind him boy, it will be faster.”_

Ignis dutifully clambered up behind the redhead, who groaned as they once again began moving through the trees. At one point, the older man started to slide off the side of the beast as it bounded through the woods off the path. Ignis pulled him back up and against his chest, disturbed to see him so out of sorts.

            He was glad Gra’ath had carried them. By the time they entered the library’s clearing, it was clear the large cat had been right about his master’s ability to travel. He wasn’t sure what the cost of entering the forest was, but it was doing a number on the already weak semi-divine. Ignis pulled him down off the feline and set him on the pebbly path leading to the door, shaking him when his eyes did not open right away.

            “Zara?” He asked, shaking a bit more forcefully. “Zara?” It felt strange on his lips, he’d never called The Remnant by his actual name, mostly because he’d not had contact with him since learning what it was and it felt wrong to not use his title when speaking to the others. “Zara, can you hear me?”

            Red eyes slit open, a grimace pulling at his lips as he slowly sat up.

            “I just need a moment,” he rasped, moving to sit cross-legged. Gra’ath moved to stretch out behind him, a purr rolling low and seeming to ease some of his master’s discomfort.

            “Would an ether help?” Ignis asked, watching with concern.

            “A what?” Zara responded, giving him a tired and confused look. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

            Ignis pulled on that magical tie that bound him to Noctis and plucked out a small blue vial. He pressed it into the man’s hands.

            “Drink this,” he said gently. “See if it helps.”

            The man cautiously raised the bottle to his lips and sipped at the contents before pulling a face.

            “It stings,” he coughed.

            “Noctis makes them using energy drinks. It’s just carbonation. It shouldn’t hurt you.”

            The redhead quickly drank the rest of the vial’s contents, shaking his head when he finished. Ignis could see the color rising in his cheeks though and the tired tremble left the hand holding the empty bottle.

            “What did you call this again?” Zara asked, turning the empty flask in his fingers. “Are they all like this?”

            “That was an ether, they’re made specifically for helping to restore mana after strenuous magic usage. Most of Noct’s potions are made using energy drinks, he likes the extra push the caffeine and carbonation give him, but he can enchant most any liquid to the purpose, really.”

            “He can make more than one kind?”

            “Yes, there are quite a few exclusively made from the magic of the Lucian royal bloodline, but with the resurgence of magitech, there are other ways of getting boosts.”

            “Then humanity has come far from what I remember.”

            He stood, brushing the dust off of his black robes and making his way to the heavy set door of the library. The entrance swung open with ease before The Remnant had even touched its handle, leading the man to make a pleasantly surprised sound.

            “Though they are forgotten, they do not forget,” he mused as he entered.

            The main room looked entirely different from the last time Ignis had been there. The dark and dreary shadows that had clung to every surface were banished in the wake of light pouring through tall windows set between the bookcases, their heavy curtains drawn back. The piles of papers had been removed from the floors, and the desks had been cleaned off and dusted.

            “Welcome back,” said a familiar voice. Ignis turned to see the old man from last time leaning up against a desk. “Was reckonin’ it to be about time for you to pop by again.”

            “Yes, and I see you’ve gotten some substance back in you,” smiled The Remnant. “I’m pleased to see you’ve gotten traction somewhere.”

            “I’d reckon it’s thanks to your young friend here. Things got better once he stopped by for one of your books.”

            A look of confusion crossed his face. “Books? There’s more than just the one?”

            “Quite a few,” the old man nodded. “Back when you first started coming by after striking that deal with the librarian, I’d dare say you left at least three or four here.”

            “My deal with the librarian,” he muttered, resting a hand over his mouth as he searched his memory. “For the journals?”

            “That’d be the one, mister. Now, the librarian woke up and we got things tidied up a bit, so have yourself a look around, you boys know the getup.”

            The old man wandered away, crossing through the light from the windows and revealing he wasn’t quite solid. If not for the light, Ignis wouldn’t have known he was just a shadow, a memory of a man lost in time.

            “What was the deal you made for the journals?” Ignis couldn’t resist the curiosity.

            “I used to come here for hours every day and read, exploiting an old loophole that you only have to give up a memory if you want to take a part of the library somewhere else,” he explained as he led them down a hallway and into a room with dozens of bookshelves. “The librarian caught on and we struck a deal: I would be allowed to read as much as I wanted, but I had to give something in return to sustain the library. I wouldn’t have to forget what I gave them, but it had to be new and from me. So at the end of every day, I would write down a piece of my life, my story, and give it to the librarian who kept it all together”

            “Like an autobiography.”

            “Precisely. But when the librarian died, a new one came from… well, wherever the librarians come from, and backed out on the deal. I knew there was at least one book here about me, but I guess there’s more to it than I thought.”

            “When you say they backed out…?”

            “Backed out as in they added the entries I gave their predecessor to the main library, triggering the removal of memories from the mind, as they’ve no doubt added yours. One moment I knew exactly who I was and why I was here. The next I was the way I am now: I know that I’m Zara, an instrument of the Gods. I’m supposed to help the world of Eos, but I can’t remember how to, save for a few odds and ends I’ve kept using to keep myself occupied here. Gra’ath is my companion, but he doesn’t remember any more than that either.”

            “Sounds lonely,” Ignis said, perusing the titles of the books on the shelves.

            “It’s terrifying,” his guide laughed, trying to make light of the situation. “But I suppose that’s why you’re here. I’ll help you to learn and in return, you’ll help me remember. That’s why I gave you the sight- so we can assist one another, and in turn, your world.”

            “It certainly is a fine gift, being able to see. One I’ve never properly thanked you for.”

            “You misunderstand, Ignis,” Zara said as he peered back around the edge of a bookshelf at the advisor. “I gave you sight, yes, but that was the lead in on the real gift- _the_ sight. It’s why I’ve been trying to teach you about old magic while you’ve been here. So you can hone your new abilities.”

            “What new abilities?”

            “The ability to see that which is unseen. To know that which has not yet come to pass. I could tell you had a natural affinity for it, so the rest should come rather easy.”

            Ignis wasn’t sure quite how to respond to that bit of information, so he kept quiet and followed The Remnant through the winding maze of bookcases. They moved from one room to the next, Ignis’s eyes scanning the spines of the books for anything that might indicate Ardyn, stopping a few times to flip through pages only to be disappointed.

            It was about two and a half hours of this before he caught sight of a title that piqued his interest for a different reason. He pulled the tome off the shelf and thumbed the light layer of dust off the spine.

            _The Marvels of Magitech Medicines, Vol. 3_

He turned the book in his hands before opening to somewhere in the middle, sighing in dismay. There were graphs and charts beside the other illustrations of various surgical procedures and tools, but the words describing what he was seeing were written in a language he didn’t understand.

            “Frustrating when the librarians only translate the titles, isn’t it?” The Remnant asked, looking over Ignis’s shoulder at the pictures. He held out his hand in a silent request to see, and the mortal handed the heavy book over for him to look through. “I know late-era Sol, but this looks like an earlier dialect. If you’d like, you can leave this with me later and I’ll try to puzzle out a translation key for you.”

            “I’d appreciate that,” Ignis said, taking the book back. He wasn’t really sure why he felt the twinge of surprise- the man across from him had lived through eons. Was it really so strange for him to know a language the rest of the world had lost?

            But on the opposite side, he seemed so young and inexperienced. Hell, he hadn’t even known one of the most basic potions that’d been around for as long as anyone could remember. How many memories had Zara sacrificed to this place in the pursuit of knowledge? How much maturity was lost somewhere in this labyrinth of paper and leather?

            “I think it’s safe to say we won’t be finding anything more than passing mentions of the Accursed here,” the redhead declared after another hour between the books. “Why don’t you go exchange for that medical journal you were interested in and we’ll make way to other, more dependable, resources?”

            Ignis made his way back to the main room on the first floor, noting that the exchange ledger was far more organized now. Someone had copied the notes from the paper scraps like the one he’d used last time over into a soft leather-bound booklet.

            He paused, pen poised above the paper. What should he write down? Part of him wanted to write about the short estrangement from Noctis, but he decided that was too important to their current situation to lose. He finally settled on an old memory from when he was young, from before he’d met Noctis. He’d loved his grandfather, but the memory of him lying in bed being cared for by Ignis’s uncle while he withered away into a painful grave was one he would prefer to forget.

            Debts to the librarians paid, Ignis walked outside to meet Zara and Gra’ath, who offered to carry them again. His red-haired companion seemed dizzy, keeping a hand fisted in the silky black fur as he stood next to the beast before being prompted to rest on its back.

            _“It’s catching up with you,_ ” Gra’ath warned, a slightly motherly tone coming through. _“Maybe you should go back and take him to the pools another time.”_

            “We don’t have that much time to spare,” Zara said simply, clambering up behind Ignis. “It’ll be uncomfortable, but I’ll be fine.”

            _“To the caverns then?”_ Gra’ath asked once the pair had settled on his back.

            “Please,” Zara said, moving to perch his head over Ignis’s shoulder and smile at the man in front of him. “Its high time we show Ignis what we have in store.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the plot thickens:) Let's hang out in the comments section and tell me what you thinks gonna happen next! Comments are love, yall, and hearing from you guys makes me happy, so drop a note and I'll be back soon with more! <3


	20. 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We broke 2k hits yall!!!! Wooo!!

            After another hour of riding, Ignis’s legs were starting to ache. He’d thought he knew how badly being saddle sore felt, but endless hours on chocobos felt like nothing compared to being constantly stretched over Gra’ath’s wide back with nothing to keep him from falling save his own will and a death grip held with his knees.

            Not having a saddle with stirrups to help keep his body at a regular distance from the hard spine underneath him wasn’t doing him any favors either.

            “We should be getting there soon,” Zara mumbled against Ignis’s shoulder. It was obvious he was growing weak and tired again, progressively leaning further and further forward until he was slumped against the blond’s back as they rode.

            “Will you tell me more about where we’re going?” Ignis asked, wanting to keep the other talking. Talking meant awake- and Ignis was concerned about The Remnant’s ability to stay as such.

            “The pools- they’re magic. They hide deep inside the caves where the guardian cannot reach me, and subsequently you. It can be draining to get there, but it’s the best place for an uncorrupted divination.”

            “And is that what we will be doing there? Divination?”

            “ _You_ will be centering yourself. I’ll be there as a mere precaution should you need assistance.”

            “Centering- what’s that mean?”

            “It means you’re going to go down to the pools, lose yourself in their depths, and enter into reflection. Doing that will help you balance your spirit. Once you are at one with Divinity, we can start on the real progress of your Sight.” He leaned over Ignis shoulder then to flash him a lazy grin, sparking a sense of unease in the advisor who couldn’t shake the feeling that Ardyn would have given him the same look had he been there.

            _“We are near,”_ Gra’ath purred. _“But so is the guardian.”_

            “How long until he is upon us?” Zara didn’t seem so tired anymore with the urgency in his voice as he tensed.

            _“I’ll be able to get you to the crest, but he will stop me before I can take you further,”_ the feline answered, his gait speeding up until wind whipped Ignis hair around his face and the world around them blurred. _“Be ready to jump.”_

            The trees of the forest parted, revealing the staggering slope of a single, rocky summit. It towered high into the air, stark grey stone against the sky. The rough stones and clattering pebbles skidded under Gra’ath’s claws, making them slip and slide across the side of the miniature mountain. Several minutes were spent climbing faster than any beast Ignis had ever heard of, the advisor’s hands fisted tightly in the black fur lest he lose his balance and be thrown off by the swift and jerky movements.

            They had almost reached the top when a shrill, piercing shriek echoed off the grey rocks around them. Ignis knew that kind of sound- he’d heard those like it hundreds of times in the night as his group had traveled across Lucis, and it had only ever meant one thing.

            They were being hunted by a demon- and a big one at that if the sound was anything to go by.

            Gra’ath shifted strangely underneath them, the two passengers sliding back towards the beast’s hips before he bucked, launching them off and up the hill. They sprawled among the stone for a breathless moment before the world surged again. Zara was quick to grab his hand, pulling him up the last stretch of the climb with heavy breath. His hand slipped free as the redhead slipped from view around a large rock, nowhere to be seen when Ignis made the turn himself.

            “Down here,” came the hiss, drawing Ignis attention to the base of the large boulder. A crack ran through the topsoil, amber-red eyes peering through the gap. “Under the lip of the rock.”

            A quick run of his hand along the area proved that there was an opening hidden on the underside of the rock shelf. It was slightly difficult to squeeze his shoulders through the space, sliding up into the hollow innards of the boulder before sticking his feet down the hole inside and slipping lower to join Zara underground.

            “We shan’t be bothered now,” Zara said softly, flinching slightly as another scream echoed from the guardian, seemingly frustrated to have lost his quarry. “These caverns are the one place he cannot follow us.”

            “If this is your world, why is the guardian chasing you?”

            “He will drag me back to the meadow and mete out punishment for contacting you in the mortal realm should he catch me. This isn’t my world, Ignis,” he said sadly. “The meadow and the forest combined with the stones here upon the mount may make a beautifully gilded cage… but they are a cage all the same.”

            He turned away again, moving down the sloping path into the shadows.

            Ignis dutifully followed, his feet slipping occasionally in the loose dirt as they plunged deeper into the heart of the mountain. The loose, root twined crawl spaces slowly began growing taller, and wider, the stones becoming more structured until they were walking shoulder to shoulder in a proper tunnel. Small rocks glistened above their heads, illuminated by magic and lighting the path.

            Ignis didn’t talk while they wound their way deeper, the air in the tunnels felt like it was meant to stay quiet and still. Zara seemed to agree, treading softly and motioning with his hands when he needed to communicate something to the mortal in favor of speaking.

            Soon enough, the ground under them evened out, drawing inwards to a wall of sorts in front of them. Blue light filtered through the gaps in the earthy barrier and shifted along the walls. Their path ended when the entered the large cavern on the other side, a small pond of shimmering azure water sitting in the center of the space, shining with magic and refracting water patterns on the rock around them.

“This is where I first found you,” Zara whispered softly, drawing close to the water and gently dragging a few fingers across the surface, a white trail of magic glistening in their wake. “I had come to seek peace, but the deeper I sank into reflection, the brighter your spirit shone in the distance. I knew then that you were different from the other souls I’d encountered in the past.”

            “You were certain of me so soon?”

            “It is people’s words and actions that hide the face of darkness from mortals, Ignis. A spirit can never hide what it is, no matter how hard one tries. Words and worries mean little when I could see the very essence of your soul.”

            He motioned Ignis to join him at the edge of the water, turning his attention back to its slow and languid waves. He heaved a sigh, some of the tension leaving his body as the mortal settled next to him.

            “Look at the water,” Zara said, his voice taking on a strangely hypnotic quality. “Look at its waves. Out to the edge, in towards the center. Out and in, out and in. Push and pull. Let your mind go, Ignis. Allow yourself to be pushed and pulled by the waves.”

            Zara kept talking, but his voice faded to background noise, Ignis’s mind thoroughly entrapped by the shifting light within the pool. It reminded him of when they fetched the mythril from the underwater ruins.

            So calm.

            Ignis shifted up onto his knees, watching the careful lapping of the waterline.

            So peaceful.

            He leaned and rested his hands on the edge of the rock, the water having eroded away the minerals until it was pleasantly smooth and slippery.

             Push and pull.

            He’d never felt so light and mindless as the moment he toppled into the watery depths, peaceful- knowing all was well within the waves.

***

            The motel ceiling came into focus as Ignis blinked. He was tangled up in the blankets, clad in only his sleep pants and a tank top, just waking despite the sun’s high position in the sky outside the window. A quick glance at the digital clock on the nightstand told him it was nearly noon, and he hastily threw himself from under the covers to get dressed.

            “Whatcha doing dude?” Prompto yawned from the other bed, his yellow hair messy as it emerged from under a pillow. “I thought you said you were still tired.”

            “It is nearly midday, Prompto,” Ignis sighed.

            “Yeah, pretty early for you I’d say.”

            “What?”

            “Hey man, it’s all good. There’s no need for you to stress. Gladio and Noct said they’d deal with the market stuff today. You and I get to stay here and rest.”

            “There is work to be done, need I remind you.”

            “Oh come on Iggy,” Prompto whined. “Look at that bed, it’s a nice bed and it hasn’t done anything bad to you. Lay down. Take a rest.”

            “Noct needs me.”

            Prompto laughed at that, leaning back on his elbows as he shot a smug look at the advisor.

            “Why would he need you? I’m his best friend- I’m the one who gets to take care of him.”

            “We can both be Noctis’s friend,” Ignis said with a frown.

            “I mean we _could_ but we aren’t. That’s why Noct is always coming to hang out with _me_ and not _you_. I’m his best friend.”

            “I’ve been with Noct since we were children. That’s the kind of bond that can’t be replaced.”

            “Aww,” Prompto grinned cruelly. “Iggy are you _jealous_?”

            “No,” he said flatly.

            “Are you being honest?”

            “Don’t be a fool, of course I am.”

            Prompto’s eyes darkened, almost to a black void.

            _“Liar.”_

***

            “Come on, get up,” Gladio barked.

            Ignis hauled himself up from the matted floor of the training room, sweat pouring down his back after the Shield bested him for the fifth time. This wasn’t how it should be. Gladio’s attacks were slow- methodical and heavy to inflict massive damage. Ignis should have been able to dodge them with ease. Instead, it was like his limbs were lead and Gladio’s blade a feather.

            It was only a few more moments of sparring before Ignis was once again knocked onto his back. Every attempt to stand was met with a heavy push to throw his shoulders back onto the floor, until eventually a boot landed on his sternum, pinning him to the ground.

            “What are you doing?” He coughed, breathing becoming a bit difficult with the Shield’s weight on his chest.

            “Taking you down a peg or two. You think just because you’ve got some fancy moves that it makes you better than the rest of us?”

            “I’ve never said that!”

            “Yeah, and yet your false humility is still raking on my nerves, four eyes. You always go walking around, all pose-y and posh like the rest of us are dirt.”

            “No I don’t!”

            “Admit that you’re stupidly prideful!”

            “I’m not!”

            Gladio reached down and lifted him clear off his feet by the front of his shirt, his pupils overtaking all color in his eyes.

            _“Liar.”_

***

            Heat spread across his face as Ravus watched him. He couldn’t get the cap off of the sterilizing bottle, the wound on the man in front of them growing nastier by the minute.

            “You know,” Ravus finally sighed in a haughty tone. “ _This_ is why Noctis would have done well to leave you behind.”

            “Noctis wouldn’t leave me behind,” Ignis said shakily, the bottle finally slipping from his trembling hands and breaking on the rocks.

            “Ugh, leave it to me. You are utterly useless.”

            Ravus produced a second bottle, cleaning the injury and wrapping it in a matter of seconds like the expert battle medic he was. The man sighed in relief and stood, saluting the commander before moving away.

            “We’re running low on rations. Go hunt for some meat,” Ravus said dismissively with a wave of his metallic hand. “At least try to be useful.”

            “I don’t know how to hunt properly,” Ignis mumbled as a bow was pushed into his hands by a faceless soldier.

            “Oh dear,” Ravus crooned. “You cannot heal, nor can you hunt? I suppose it is for the best then that I take over things. Noctis cannot have someone who is learned of the principles but not the application thereof as his advisor.”

            “But I’m Noct’s advisor!”

            “Not anymore. Poor Ignis, so insecure, however right you are to be. It has been so painfully obvious that I am superior to you in every way.”

            “I am _not_ insecure, and I don’t think you’re better than me!”

            “Are you so sure?”

            “Yes.”

            Two-tone eyes framed by white hair suddenly blackened as Ravus looked over his shoulder as he walked away.

            “ _Liar.”_

***

            Ignis bolted upright in the bed, panting, with the silky black sheets twisted around his legs. Moonlight softly filtered in from behind the sheer dark curtains, washing the fading feeling of his nightmare away.

            “Ignis? What’s wrong?”

            A pale hand snaked up his side and teased at his exposed collarbones. Where was his shirt? A tuft of black hair appeared in the corner of his eye as Noctis sat up behind him and wrapped him in an embrace.

            “Did you have another nightmare?”

            A simple nod was all Ignis offered as he tilted his head back to lean on the shoulder of his prince. Noct scooted back a little, allowing Ignis’s head to slide and rest over his heart, the strong thumping doing wonders to ease the last of his stress.

            “It’s officially past midnight, making tomorrow today. And do you know what today is?” Noctis asked, his hand carding through the blond’s hair.

            Ignis only shifted his eyes upwards to look at Noct’s face, appreciating the lean definition years had given him. Ignis could admire silently- he didn’t really feel like talking. Besides, he wasn't sure what today was, as must have shone on his face.

            “Really?” Noct gave him an incredulous look. “I’ve been talking about it all week, and you don’t remember?”

            “I seem to have forgotten, forgive me.”

            “I can’t _believe_ you! You’re so… ugh!”

            “I’m sorry Noctis, please remind me.”

            “No,” the prince said angrily, pushing Ignis off his chest and getting out of bed. “How could you forget? After everything we’ve done? After what it means for us?”

            Ignis floundered for something to say. Nothing was coming to mind. What had they been talking about? What was he forgetting?

            “Today’s our twelfth anniversary,” Noctis cried. “How could you forget that?”

            Twelve years? Happiness stirred in the pit of Ignis’s stomach, like a pleasant warmth against the slight chill of the air. It didn’t last as he saw the despair taking over his prince’s face. The raven cried by the window for several minutes before Ignis found the will to walk over and wrap him in his arms.

            “Don’t you still love me, Ignis?” Noct hiccupped.

            “Always,” he breathed, breaking his silence.

            “You promise?” The tear-stained eyes searched the advisor’s face, looking for any trace of doubt or hesitation.

            “I do.”

            Noctis smiled softly.

            _“I believe you.”_

***

            Ignis opened his eyes to the beautiful blue haze that one can only find when submerged in a large body of water. The blue shimmer served to ease the tension in his muscles and he breathed deeply in relaxation- feeling more at peace than he had in years it seemed.

            Breathing… under water…

            It was almost like the liquid didn’t enter his lungs until he remembered that it shouldn’t. Then he was frantically kicking towards the top of the pool, desperately fighting to reach air. He broke the surface with a choppy splash, propelling himself to the edge and throwing his body over the lip and back to the dry ground.

            He coughed up some of the water, his lungs constricting painfully as they worked to remove the excess moisture. He looked up from his dripping puddle to see Zara watching him with critical eyes.

            “Three out of four is still quite a few times to fail, Ignis,” he murmured softly. “You need to be honest with yourself if anything is going to come of this.”

            “What?” He gasped softly, still trying to catch his breath.

            “You’re so deep in denial that the magic can’t work the way it is meant to,” Zara grumbled, snapping the book Ignis had taken from the library shut before standing. “Ponder what you saw- think of what it means, and we will try again tomorrow.”

            “But-”

            “ _Tomorrow_ , Ignis,” The Remnant said, dissatisfied. He reached out and placed his hand on Ignis’s sternum. “I’ve kept you here too long already.”

            A forceful push had him falling back, but not into the water. Darkness swallowed him up as he fell through the rift back into his own world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am reaaaaally glad I decided to split things where I did, because this is still about 1,000 words longer than a typical update, even though it ended earlier than I'd planned for. If I'd kept them together it would have ended up being over 5,000 words!!!
> 
> Come play in the comments- I'll be lonely and sad if you don't!


	21. 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's my birthday, so I have shamelessly indulged in some fluffy goodness!

            He lurched up with a sick feeling of vertigo, swapping the darkness of the ether for the painfully bright light of almost midday. He clumsily fumbled for his glasses on the night table while he closed his eyes against the nausea, making a confused sound when his fingers brushed against something bigger. His fingers curled around the edges and pulled it into view.

            _The Marvels of Magitech Medicine, Vol. 3_

A few loose pages slipped from the inside of the leather cover, symbols written in an elegant script he recognized as Zara’s handwriting after their mirror conversation. It took him a few moments to realize what he was looking at.

            The translation key was several pages long, neatly organized by type of translation and bearing several examples of how the early construct of the Sol language worked. An additional piece of paper was folded and tucked between the pages towards the center, nestled against the book’s spine like a bookmark.

            The page being held was the beginning of a lengthy section depicting several diagrams of the human body. In each picture, there was a copy where one piece was replaced by a magitech prosthetic, with another illustration of each given part of the mechanics. Given the way the text surrounded the images, Ignis would be so bold as to guess it was a total breakdown of how the process worked.

            Ravus would be overjoyed when Ignis presented him with the tome.

            Ravus… the feeling of subtle worthlessness settled in his chest again as he thought of his vision- or had it been a dream? Regardless, it made him feel awful and small. He hadn’t even felt like this on his first day of training for the Crownsguard. Granted, at that time he’d known he was walking into a situation where he would be the rookie. Ravus, on the other hand, was a curveball that kept reminding him that even after years of training, he wasn’t on par with the Tenebraen- and the world by extension. He may be one of the best in the Crownsguard, but he certainly wasn’t the best anywhere else.

            And that linked into his pride, didn’t it? He always wanted to be the best- best guardian, best advisor, best companion… He’d thought he’d taken a reasonable amount of satisfaction from it, but he supposed there was more. Did Gladio really think of him as a posh snob who thought he was better than everyone else? Was that a figment of his mind? _Did_ he think he was better?

            “About time you woke up, sleepy head,” came Noct’s voice, breaking Ignis’s train of thought. He turned to see the young man stretching from his napping place in the chair by the desk. “I’ve been here for hours, but no matter how hard I tried you just wouldn’t wake up. Was starting to have me worried.” He ran a hand through his black hair as he walked over and plopped onto the bed. “How was your night?”

            Ignis flicked his eyes to a small clock on the wall, noting it wasn’t quite noon as he set the book aside and leaned in to press a quick kiss to the prince’s cheek. “Good morning,” he smiled lamely feeling a blush rise in his face as he ducked his head. “It has been a very… introspective few hours.”

            “Do you wanna tell me about it?”

            “Maybe later,” Ignis said, taking the royal’s hands in his. “I’m still puzzling out a few things.”

            “Of course… dear.”

            Ignis raised his brow at that, not pegging Noctis to be the type to use pet names.

            “Yeah… maybe not ‘dear’. I think Specs is good for now,” Noct mumbled.

            “I appreciate the attempt,” Ignis laughed as he pulled the prince into an embrace and settling back on the pillows. He thoroughly enjoyed the thought of having a name only Noctis would call him. “If there are to be such endearments, I’m sure they’ll find their way in naturally.”

            “Are we going to tell the others?” Noctis asked after a few minutes of cuddling.

            “I am not opposed to the idea,” Ignis hummed softly. “In fact I rather like the thought of the world knowing I lo-… Knowing that we care for each other.”

            “I do too.”

            They were quiet for a while after that, Noctis content to stay curled in Ignis’s arms, and the latter pleased to hold him. The tiny clock on the wall ticked down the minutes until the new hour passed, and only then did the pair rise and find something to eat before setting out.

***

            Noctis’s phone was buzzing non-stop as Prompto blasted off messages in response to their announcement, the dark-haired prince having sent him and his Shield a quick text before the duo started their walk through the forest. Noctis heaved a sigh before slipping the device out of his pocket to put a sleep timer on his friend’s messages, guaranteeing fifteen minutes of peace for them.

            “I haven’t been in this stretch of the woods since I was picking berries with Ravus,” Ignis observed, leaning his head in close to his companion. The walked arm in arm, shoulder to shoulder, with one of Ignis’s hands resting lightly on the one Noct had curled around his bicep. “It feels like it was yesterday almost, and at the same time it feels like it’s been forever.”

            “I guess that’s what face paced life does,” Noctis agreed. “You’ve hardly had a day to sit down and breath since you got your sight back. You don’t even get to rest while you’re sleeping anymore. It’s crazy to think we’ve been camped out here with the rebels for months now.”

            “Perhaps, but it’s a face paced life at _your_ side, so I never feel the wish to complain,” he smiled. “Speaking of night time adventures, would you mind if we stop by Ravus’s lodgings on the way back? I have something I wish to give him.”

            “That book you put in the Armiger earlier?”

            “Yes, I haven’t had time to sit down and translate it myself, but if the pictures are anything to go by, it should tell us how to get him a new prosthetic.”

            “Really?” Noct said, stopping in the lane and looking at him with excitement. “Iggy, that’s amazing! Where’d you find it?”

            “I believe I told you of my plans to go to the library last night.”

            Noctis’s face changed to one of confusion. “If you found it with the Remnant, then how did you get it back here?”

            “I don’t rightly know,” Ignis admitted, scrunching his brows. “I would assume he was the one who sent it over.”

            “Is there anything he can’t do?”

            “Leave, apparently,” Ignis sighed. Noctis gave him a strange look, prompting him to explain. “He’s always been wandering about the meadow when I saw him, with only Gra’ath to keep him company. I assumed he was just content to stay there but it seems that’s not the case.”

            “He’s trapped?”

            “He said the meadow was a beautiful cage- but a cage, still. And while I never saw the creature that is meant to keep him there, it sounded most frightening.”

            “Did he tell you why he can’t leave?”

            “Honestly, I don’t think he can remember. He was swindled out of quite a few of his memories by the magic there. I don’t know how regularly he comes into contact with the Astrals, but I’m starting to worry that he may not be as strong as they remember.”

            “But you made the trade- they have to keep their end of the deal.”

            “What trade?”

            “You said something when we first got here, about trading something I had to do for the power of the ring to fight Ardyn. Something about paying a price. You didn’t really go into specifics.”

            “I don’t remember that,” Ignis said, turning his eyes back to the path as they started walking again. “It must have been something woven in with the hysteria I was feeling at the time.”

            “Well, I guess it’s nothing to worry about then.”

            They continued walking in silence for several minutes before the path made a large bend. Noctis walked slightly in front of him, gently pulling him along as he smiled over his shoulder. Ignis had a vague idea of where they were. If he was remembering right, they were about to walk out of the dense trees into a clearing Ravus had told him was very beautiful.

            Noctis entered the space first, quickly doubling back and pulling Ignis close to the tree trunks and winter covered brush.

            “What is it?” Ignis whispered, chuckling softly as Noct pulled him low with wide eyes.

            Noct silently used his hands to make out a message. _Look around the tree, don’t be seen._

Ignis cast his prince a look and a small laugh as he moved to crouch and peer through a bush’s frozen twigs. It would seem Ignis and his prince weren’t the only ones taking advantage of the forest turning into a winter wonderland.

            The clearing was indeed a pretty one, nice and open save for a single old tree that sat bent and gnarled at the crest of a hill. Its branches were dangling icicles like a crystal chandelier, and under its boughs stood a particular pair of army commanders.

            It was clear from the obvious flush on their skin that Ravus and Ezania had been out in the cold for quite some time. Based on their dishevelment, Ignis guessed they’d been playing in the snow, but now they stood tall with Ravus’s one hand clutching Ezania’s as he held a sincere expression on his face. Even though he couldn’t hear the words they exchanged, he had a pretty good feeling what they were talking about.

            “Do you think they’re- you know?” Noctis whispered as he settled next to him.

            “Why don’t you go ask them?” Ignis laughed, earning himself an affectionate punch to the shoulder.

            “Come on, let's head back before they spot us,” Noct said, pulling on his arm as he made to go back the way they’d come.

            “Indeed,” the advisor chuckled. And if he looked back through the frozen looking-glass in time to see Ravus press a kiss against Ezania’s knuckles with a smile? Well, it only served to further his lighthearted mood. For once, everyone he cared about was happy- there would be time to deal with the darkness later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FLUFFFFFFF!! Best birthday gift to myself tbh.
> 
> Catch y'all next time!!


	22. 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis gets his act together, Zara is a sad boi, and they both get a rude awakening- Ignis's quite literally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it has been a while- my meds have been kicking my butt. Anyway, I'll see you at the end.

            Night found him several weeks later, alone in his rooms once again, nestled in the pillows as he pondered on the thoughts he had been avoiding in favor of Noctis. While his wintery escapades of the days with his beloved were much more pleasant ideas to dwell on, he knew Zara would be expecting more of him, especially after already having failed multiple attempts. He just rested on the bed for hours, dimly watching stars replace the sun’s presence as he turned them over and over in his mind.

            It was becoming increasingly difficult as he struggled to filter through the visions he’d been given. Gladio’s copy had represented his pride, Prompto’s his jealousy, and Ravus’s his insecurities. But was it wrong to have pride? Wrong to fall prey to human emotions? And how did any of it relate to finding a ‘center’ as his guide had put it?

            Thinking in order, he tried to remember every detail the Other Prompto had said or insinuated. They’d been sleeping in late in a motel room, he was told to rest, Prompto’s doppelganger had asserted his place as Noctis’s best friend and shut him down when he’d denied being jealous.

            In the training room with Gladio, he’d felt sluggish, slow and clumsy. He wanted to push himself to be more- he knew he would win a match between them, his fighting style would always be able to circumvent the Shield. He’d said he was too prideful, and rebuked him when Ignis disagreed.

            Ravus and the medical tent weren’t difficult to suss out. He’d always felt like he was being measured in value against the Tenebraen, even after they’d forged a bond Ignis would be so bold as to call a friendship. Regardless of if anyone else was comparing them, his own self-doubts were enough to cause problems.

            And then there was Noctis- the only part of the trial that Ignis seemingly hadn’t failed. A smile spread his lips as he remembered waking to be held against his boyfriend’s- lover’s?- chest. The noble had cried when Ignis was confused but accepted his apology and promise of love. What had he done differently then?

            Questions of how’s and what-if’s turned in his mind over and over until they drove him into the arms of sleep.

***

            For the first time, he didn’t wake up in the meadow.

            Zara greeted him at the entrance to the pool, a stiff stance the only form of welcome as they headed in. The man sat near the water like last time, waiting for Ignis to join him before he once again began to speak in that hazy and mind-bending tone, drawing Ignis into the depths of the magic. This time, though, Ignis was pretty sure he had things figured out.

***

            “Where are you going?” Prompto sat on the motel bed, rubbing his eyes. “Noct and Gladio are taking care of the market stuff today. We get to stay here and sleep in.”

            “I slept extra already, and so did you. Why don’t we go do something fun to relax instead?”

            “What, are you trying to be my _best friend_ now? Sorry, but that title is taken by Noctis. He and I are best friends, no Ignis included.”

            “That’s great,” Ignis said with a smile. “Noctis needs good friends who come from outside the citadel. It’s good for him.”

            The younger blond gave him a surprised look. “You aren’t jealous?”

            “Why should I be? You play your part in Noct’s life and I play mine. It’s not a competition of who is the better friend. We’re different, we give him different things, and that’s good.”

            The blond lighted up with a soft smile, his eyes shimmering a brighter blue.

            _“Friendship is not a gift that can be given too often.”_

***

            The shield came smacking down next to Ignis’s head as Gladio pinned him again.

            “Where are your fancy moves Specs?”

            “I don’t need them,” he gasped sitting up on the mats and brushing his hair out of his eyes. The brunet took the chance to try and pin him again, only to end up with his own shoulders on the ground and a practice dagger to the throat. “I’m perfectly capable of fighting without the extravagance.”

            “Then why bother learning the fancy stuff?” Gladio growled as he pushed the smaller man off his chest.

            “I just want to protect Noctis the best way I can.”

            “You sure that’s all there is to it?” Gladio challenged, the dark tint in his eyes making Ignis pause.

            “And,” he admitted. “Because whenever I learned something new and outrageous, Noctis would always come to watch us spar. Because I like to look appealing. It makes me feel confident. Let’s be frank- you are the best man to be his Shield, but that doesn’t I can’t look good while I help you along.”

            “What exactly are you saying?”

            Ignis flashed a smile as he evaded another series of attacks.

            “I like being noticed,” he laughed lightly, noting the blue hue to overtake Gladio’s brown eyes.

            _“Well placed pride can bring joy- so long as you keep it in check Youngling.”_

***

            “Bandage the wound, Scientia, before the man tastes of Death.”

            “I don’t know how,” Ignis responded, looking up from the array of medical supplies. “Can you show me?”

            “You don’t know how?” Ravus scoffed, looking at him condescendingly. “And you would call yourself a royal retainer.”

            “It’s true, I admit, I never learned how. There was never a need when magic was so readily available. But you did,” Ignis started respectfully. “There are many things that I can handle independently, but I have no experience in this. Would you help me to learn so I can be of better service?”

            The hardness in his mismatched eyes softened as he walked around the table.

            “We begin by sterilizing,” the Tenebraen said, picking up the bottle and dabbing some onto a gauze patch. “Clean any debris and blood you can before moving on to the antibiotics here.” He pulled out a jar with a thick clear paste inside, swiping some against the injury. “Bandage a minimum of an inch around either side of the wound with clean linen to prevent infection and tie off securely.” His deft fingers flew through the motions they’d practiced a thousand times, showing Ignis how to follow before turning his two-toned gaze to the advisor. “Now you try.”

            Ignis wasn’t nearly as fast or as neat, but after a minute with only one or two corrections from his senior, he’d successfully covered a bloody scrape with medicine and gauze.

            The purple and gray stare hinted azure as Ravus smiled.

            _“You should not be ashamed to ask for guidance from your elders. You are young, and there is room for you to grow yet, Little One.”_

***

            _“You have taken to reflection most ardently, Young Seer.”_

Ignis couldn’t see much beyond the black tile of the room that echoed with his prince’s voice. He recognized this- the floors, the sheer dark curtains, the soft welcoming bed. He’d already passed the test in this illusion. Only Noctis was nowhere to be seen.

            _“Most must lie in vigil for months years, even decades before they stand victorious at the feet of Igah and center their spirit. You have accomplished no small feat.”_

 _Igah_ , the rune symbol for repressed emotions, burst to life on the wall.

            _“Speak now, Apprentice. What is the essence of your Soul?”_

The answer stood glaring him in the face as Noctis’s copy moved into view in front of the burning sigil. There was only a single thing in common with all these scenarios magic had created. All his fears, all his strengths, and all his truths settled around one irrefutable fact.

“I am He who serves, protects, comforts, and loves the King.”

            The doppelganger’s grin was the only indication he’d given the correct answer.

            _“Mortal men bear mortal hearts, and you follow yours deeply. Take heed to learn the separation between what you will See and what you will_ wish _to See- for this is the undoing of many. Do you understand, Little One?”_

            “I think so,” Ignis smiled, a lightness in his heart.

            The sigil of Igah morphed on the wall, its fiery tendrils shifting and flowing into a new shape- a star in a circle.

            _“Today you leave the clutches of Igah and become a student of Igris, the mother of all knowledge- both Above and Below, Divine and Mortal.”_ A slight warmth grew along his skin near the crook of his elbow. Rolling up his sleeve, he could see the flesh change color as the mark took shape- a black star in a golden circle, just like Zara’s. _“Return to me should you ever feel that your sense of Center is waning.”_

Blue was leaking into the edges of the vision, lightening the deep black, and pulling Ignis back to his body. The water was serene when he opened his eyes and easily floated to the top. He let himself tread for a moment once his head broke the surface, enjoying the feeling of being surrounded in the tiny sea of tranquility.

            Zara sat by the edge of the pool, reading the white tome Ignis had procured for him by the magical light of the water. If the frown on his face was anything to go by, the book wasn’t offering the things he was looking for.

            “What’s the point of checking out a book when half of it has been censored to nonsense?” He sighed, snapping it shut and throwing it halfheartedly to the side. “I can’t even read the book _that I wrote_. I’ve tried everything I can think of. It’s infuriating.”

            “Seems odd for it to work like that,” Ignis agreed as he waded out of the pool.

            “Yes well, I would presume it has to do with the fact that _you_ were the one who took it, not me. On the brighter side of things,” he smiled, looking at the bared skin of Ignis’s arm. “You’ve been emblazoned. I admit it comes as a surprise on my behalf- I was expecting it to take you longer.”

            “I think it helps that I’ve been silently strangling myself over the issues for a long time already. This was just the push I needed to let it finally drop into place.”

            Ignis picked the discarded volume up, dusting off its pale cover before flipping it open to the middle. A neat and entirely eligible Sol written script flowed across the pages, each numbered with a day and a brief entry.

            “You can’t read Sol, remember?” Zara said mournfully. “That book will be just as useless to you as it is to me.”

            “No, but I have a key.” Ignis reached into the Armiger, pulling out the pages he’d not yet given Ravus after the day in Noct’s company. Every time the advisor had stoped by no one had been home. Armed with the notes and his small notebook, Ignis began copying the language algorithms, making guesses where the ancient dialect differed from its earlier predecessor the translation key had been made for. Zara looked torn between telling him to let it be and to move it along faster, but in the end, the ginger just sat across from him and watched. It took a bit longer than he’d have liked, but after ten minutes of scrawling through the aged words, he’d successfully copied over the text’s first short entry into his book.

            “Day number eighteen thousand two hundred and seventy-six,” Ignis started. “I have not made any headway in my most recent path of searching. The library’s texts have failed to answer my questions and I am becoming increasingly frustrated. In happier news, a small fox-like creature has taken to watching my rune casts. He seems very smart, and I have taken to calling him Carbuncle, like the fairytales my mother used to tell me.”

            “That’s it?” Zara asked. “That’s the whole entry?”

            “You must not have found anything particularly important that time,” Ignis shrugged. “If all you got was a general flip through at the library, why should you give them anything more than a general description of your day? That’s how it works, isn’t it? Give and take in equal value?”

            “Well, yes, but I had been hoping for more.”

            “I could try this longer one towards the end if you’d like,” Ignis offered as he flipped through the pages. “I think it makes sense that you’d write a longer piece for an important exchange.”

            “If you’d be so kind,” Zara hummed.

            Now that he’d been looking at it for a little while, the advisor was able to pick out the little patterns. The symbols were starting to connect with his brain, and the translation key was easier to flip through now that he knew where everything was, resulting in a smoother translation and a faster pace.

            Ignis could feel his eyes go wide as he finished, double checking- triple checking, but he hadn’t made a mistake. Zara would be _devastated_.

            “Perhaps a different one,” Ignis suggested lightly. “I don’t think you would care for this one.”

            “I want to know what it says, it’s a part of me.”

            “As you wish,” he sighed. “Day eighteen thousand five hundred and seventy-eight. In the wake of my mother’s death,” Ignis started reading shakily, noting the immediate descent of a somber mood over the other man. “I knew only despair, my heart having shattered like the ice that killed her. Today I have found that pain again in new knowledge. My warden, my incarcerator, that loathsome creature who keeps me here, he has come for one of his strange visits and left a taunting knowledge of his own amid the books, one that cannot be unheard and brings me great pain- as I’m sure was his intention.”

            He flicked his eyes up from the page to the redhead across from him, who sat ramrod straight with his amber eyes fixed on Ignis’s form. The silent gulp he swallowed betrayed his nervousness to hear the rest, but he nodded for Ignis to continue anyway.

            “My mother did not die from an accident in an ‘unseasonable chill’ as the priests would have had me to believe. No, the truth is far, _far_ worse. To die of cold is merely the way of a natural life; those of flesh and blood are so easily overtaken by the earth and its primal ways. No, that fiend, that abominable _thing_ we once held dear, arranged for my mother to be murdered. But Blessed as we are, the traitor has told me of the truth- we do not die like the others of her kin. So it was arranged to take her life. Not by assassins, not by a mob, but by a Goddess Herself- a Goddess of Ice and Winter. For only such Divine power can change our state. The Glacian’s frosty hand took hold of my mother’s soul and rent it apart at the behest of her own _brother_ , who riled the Goddess into a fit of rage over my father’s affections. I know I sought for answers, but these were not the ones I wanted. I think I shall stay near the pavilion for the next few days- he is never keen to visit me there. There are days I wish the librarians would whisk away my thoughts like everyone else’s- I do not desire to remember this.”

            Ignis looked up again, slightly surprised to see the ginger, who was normally so well composed, with his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. His face was buried between his legs and his long fiery hair hid the tears, but the soft shaking of his shoulders betrayed the fact that he was crying.

            “My mother- betrayed by her own patron,” he whimpered after a few minutes, dabbing at his eyes with the edge of his sleeve. “That is all I clearly remember of her, you know. She served in Shiva’s temple and loved me greatly before she was taken when I was just a child. I can’t even recall what she looked like. But this- this stirs the hints of memories. I am glad to know now, even if I wasn’t then.”

            “Are you alright?” Ignis asked hesitantly.

            “No… but I will be, in time.” Zara paused, fiddling with the drooping fabric of his robe’s sleeve for a few moments. “You must have given up something very crucial to yourself in order to get this for me. I’m sorry it came at such a price. However…” A pause where Zara looked almost embarrassed for what he planned to say next. “Can I ask you to translate another?” He asked softly. “Another one you think may be important? Since I cannot decide on my own.”

            “I would be honored,” Ignis said, flipping through the pages in search of an entry that seemed similar in composition. “This one looks promis-”

            Ignis was cut off as the mountain around them suddenly began to violently shake, the book tumbling from its perch on his lap and the quaking ground threw him on his side. Zara was on his hands and knees, an expression of shocked fear crossing his features before he reached a hand to his head in pain.

            The world went sideways, Zara slipping from his view, and Ignis found himself bolting up in his bed, the shouts and screams of rebels fleeing down the hall ringing in his ears. Instead of being greeted by the starry night sky when he looked out the window, Ignis was hailed by fire and carnage spreading over the hidden rebel base.

            And above it all was a fleet of airships, the largest of which he recognized as belonging to one Chancellor Ardyn Izunia of Nifelhiem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 22 chapters in is a good spot to re-introduce the villain, right? Not gonna lie folks, with the pace we're going and all the things I want to cover- I hope you're ready for the long haul.
> 
> Come play in the comments! You guys are the bulk of the "human" interaction (idk if yall are robots set on overtaking the world or something) I've been getting since my emergency surgery- and I love you for it:) <3
> 
> Catch ya later!


	23. 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winning one battle does not mean you will win the war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OHHHHHH BOY. I wanted to wait and try to get back on a regular posting schedule, but The Brain has convinced me I need to share right now. I hope y'all have tissues ready because I got a little misty-eyed writing this one.
> 
> WARNING NOTE!!!!!!!!--> There is violence in this one folks, and some of it gets a little... descriptive. Like, I've seen worse in PG13 movies, so I don't know if it's super bad, but JUST SO YOU KNOW it gets a little dark.

            The maws of the airships hung open, pouring troop after troop down into the now burning forest base. The Chancellor’s ship sunk low to the earth, and Ignis saw a single form jump through the air and land nimbly on the ground, advancing behind the wall of a small magitech army.

            Ardyn Izunia had entered the playing field once again- and this time Ignis would give his all to make sure he died and stayed down.

            He hastily threw on his Crownsguard fatigues, slightly rumpled as they were, and pushed his bangs out of his face before exiting to the hallway full of rebels rushing to get where they were needed. Someone tossed him a gun as he exited the building, and he let the heavy weight settle in his hands for a moment. The cold nipped at his face and through his shirt, Ignis not having bothered to put on his jacket in the rush to get moving.

            He tossed the weapon into the Armiger and turned his focus towards finding Noctis. Surely that would be where Ardyn was headed, and Ignis wasn’t going to risk losing his prince now. But where to start looking? Damn his procrastination on getting a new cell phone! He raced through the streets, pulling a dagger to swipe off the heads of a few troopers in his way. Looking up, he could see Ravus at the other end of the lane, proudly brandishing his blade as he fought.

            It wouldn’t do to leave him by himself. While he was holding his own against the small force that had him cornered, it would only be a matter of time before the Tenebraen was overcome by sheer numbers if nothing else. Besides, lacking an arm left his left side vulnerable. It was an odd echo of the past as Ignis rushed in, taking out a gunman with a few savage swipes and distracting others while Ravus finished off the heavy plated axman he was dueling.

            “Scientia,” he panted heavily, turning away and trusting the Lucian to watch his back. “Have you seen Ezania about in this mess?”

            “No,” he answered, flinging his blades at his enemies and summoning a polearm to stab at a sniper through the gaps on a walkway above them, toppling it to the ground where Ravus finished it off. “I’m in search of Noctis, myself.”

            “One of Ezania’s men said he was headed towards the west gate to meet the force head on.”

            They quickly finished the remaining tin men in the area and Ignis dismissed his blades for the time being.

            “Then we should hurry. I have a feeling Commander Ezania will be headed that way as well,” Ignis said, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

             “I do believe you are right,” Ravus sighed as he rotated his shoulder before flashing him a small and impish grin. “Back into the fray then, shall we?”

            “Let’s.”

            One wave of magitech soldiers turned into another, and another, and another- a seemingly endless barrage of metal and death. But slowly the outline of the outline of the west gate rose up in the distance. Ignis was surprised by how easy it was to fall into a rhythm with the other man, considering they’d only fought together once several months ago. Nevertheless, a cadence began to take root as they fought. Ravus on one, Ignis on two and three, Ravus on four. Ignis to the upper left, Ravus to the lower right.

            This- this was what he’d felt that day in Altissia before the world went to hell. The synergy, the flow, the two of them locked into a dance where their partner was Death. It was exhilarating, terrifying, and beautiful all in the same breath. Fighting with Ravus Nox Fleuret by his side, even handicapped as he was, was addictive. And while it would never surpass the rush he got with Noctis, it came as a close second. There was just something different about fighting in a duo as opposed to a quad.

             Their duo soon became a trio, though, as they hounded against an armored MA-X droid. A hiss and blue streak were the heraldings of the Prince of Lucis joining their fight, his warps landing him in quick succession square against the weak arm joint in the robot’s design. The metal groaned and gave out, sprawling their enemy out on the ground just as Gladio and Prompto rounded the corner.

            “Let’s do a cross,” the raven-haired man called over his shoulder to the others. “Rotation of three, Ravus, you take five!”

            “Take five?” The Tenebraen asked, confused.

            “You’re fifth strike, and we’re going to run through three times,” Ignis explained as they hurried to form the line-up. “Just follow in behind me, I’ll break to the left and you break to the right after the hit to fall back in line.”

            With the King of Kings at their head, the group charged hitting their rotations with practiced ease, despite the introduction of a new fifth element. Ravus, to his credit, only stumbled once before the cross chain had oil pooling on the ground and a broken MA-X droid catching fire.

            “You good?” Noctis asked, a hand resting on Ignis shoulder when they were done.

            “None the worse for wear,” he assured. “Ravus and I came from the Northeastern side to look for you and Ezania.”

            “She charged up ahead with her men while I got the guys,” Noct said, motioning for them to follow as they resumed the trek to the gate. “She should be waiting for us there to fight.”

            “Izunia’s ship is leading the raid,” Ravus said, taking up a place to the right and slightly behind the advisor. “That can only mean he intends to make an appearance.”

            “Perfect,” Noct answered in a falsely chipper tone. “Can’t wait to punch his face in for what he’s done after we lure him out.”

            “I do believe the Chancellor has already taken to the field,” Ignis said keeping pace beside his charge. “I saw someone leave the ship earlier.”

            “He has always made a point to not keep infantry in the bay,” said the former High Commander. “If someone dropped to join the fight, it was most certainly him.”

            He could see the anger bubbling just under Noct’s veneer of calm. It showed when he struck an enemy harder than necessary, when he warped over and over even though his target wasn’t that far away, and when he refused to put his weapons away in between skirmishes.

            He was, as Prompto or Gladio would say, ‘royally pissed’. The rage served its purpose though, and soon they had cut a trail of carnage to the western entrance to the base. Several rebel riflemen were on the lookouts to either end, firing down onto the small army on the other side as a recognizable head of blonde hair bobbed between them giving orders.

            Ezania vaulted over the railing of the upper lookout, sliding down the drainpipe to greet them on the ground.

            “You boys doing alright?” She asked, but Ignis could tell she was mostly concerned about the former prince at his side. Her eyes lingered on his form, silently assessing him for damage or injuries before turning her gaze to Noctis who was giving her the run-down of what had happened. She still slipped back to Ravus every few seconds though- something had definitely shifted between the two in the last several weeks.

            “They’ve broken through the two smaller gates, but the bleed into the bulk of the base is slow,” she said, as she tucked her hair up into her hat to keep it out of the way, leading them over to a crate that held a small map of the base.

            While the two leaders conversed, Ignis could feel something starting that he’d hoped would never happen again: that insistent throbbing pain building up in his mind. He’d not felt it since the Remnant first broke through into his mind, and it was quickly growing in force.

            Just before reaching the point where it would break his will to stay upright, the pain shifted to more of a buzz and his vision went static white as a series of blurry and distorted images flashed across his mind.

            _The meadow. The library. Zara. Fighting. Ignis. Ardyn. Falling. Darkness._

            The hazy vision swept through his mind and left him dizzy with a tingling feeling around his new mark on his arm. His hand moved of its own volition, unconsciously seeking the nearest thing to keep him from falling over. As it happened, that thing was Noctis, who shot him a concerned glance before diverting his attention back to the plan Ezania was suggesting. The feeling of the magic was oddly familiar and disorienting, and he wasn’t too sure that he liked it.

            A large crash echoed against the gate as their opponents amped up their attack and consumed one of the towers in flames, one of the dropships moving in closer now that there was a gap in the wall of defenses. Ezania left their side to give orders to her people, her tone unquestionable and her commands absolute.

            Two more heavy shots ricocheted against the heavy barrier before a third sounded with the screech of twisting metal. Several of Ezania’s men fell off the outlooks and into the inferno the main bulk of the gate had become, their screams drowned out in the roar of advancing magitech forces. The tin soldiers burst through the opening and began spreading deeper into the base, only a small amount moving to corner their group and what remained of Ezania’s men.

            Fire still shrouded the entrance, but that didn’t stop the chills from running down Ignis’s spine as a very distinctive voice called out over the flames.

            “Oh dear,” sighed Ardyn dramatically as he emerged unscathed from the fire. “What an _unfortunate situation_ we seem to have found ourselves in.”

            The grin he shot them from under his hat was sickly sweet and positively malicious, and there was a slight trace of the darkness Ignis had seen in Zegunautus Keep staining around the Imperial Chancellor’s eyes

            Visible through the flickering inferno at his back, the magitech infantry broke to make way for a mass of demons that trembled in anticipation for blood. Ignis remembered Aranea telling them about the Empire’s experiments with demonic energy, and he was not too proud to admit being afraid to see what they’d created.

            “It’s not my usual style,” the Accursed continued to drawl. “But seeing how as you’ve become greater pests than I’d anticipated, well, I’m afraid I’ll have to remove this little hitch you’ve thrown into my plans by _force_.”

            With a wave of his hand, the man cued his forces to move forward. The troopers were easy enough to dispatch, but once the demons started pushing their way in through the gate the battle grew more difficult. They were strong and different from anything Ignis had encountered before. There was a semblance of what they might have been based on, some looking akin to Mindflayers or Nagas, but the majority were unrecognizable.

            It was while he was facing one of these that an unreasonably large imp latched on to his leg, its teeth piercing into the flesh of his thigh before it threw him across the space and into a stack of crates.

            Through a haze of disorientation as he lay sprawled about in the broken wood, Ignis heard someone yelling for Ezania to look out. When his gaze found the fight once again, however, she was struggling to breathe as Ardyn held her up off the ground by her throat, unbothered by the knife she plunged into his shoulder. It brought out the memory of the horrifying cackle he’d heard while fighting the Accursed himself, who hadn’t seemed phased in the slightest as he’d barreled against him with everything he had.

            Her thrashing knocked the hat off of her head, letting her hair fall freely and casting light onto her face. Ardyn’s expression changed then, going from malice to surprise to fury almost faster than the eye could blink. He dropped her to the ground before twisting her arm behind her back and barking an order to one of the few remaining soldiers in the area as he started to all but drag her away.

            Ravus was busy fighting two demons, Noctis and the others also blocked from helping by a large serpent-like creature plated in armor, so Ignis shook the feeling of vertigo from his head and summoned his blades back into his hands. That monster would not get away with her. Ignis wouldn’t _let_ him! He raced around the debris in the path and rolled under the arm of a trooper that tried to stop him just before he reached the Accursed.

            But he was just a little too slow.

            Ardyn noticed the charge and shoved Ezania towards a pair of tin men before ripping out the blade that still protruded from his arm to round on Ignis. The advisor’s dagger that came in first for the strike was knocked from his hand, the other soon following as the man grabbed him by the wrist, lifted his arm high, and drove the ichor stained steel into the flesh just underneath the advisor’s ribs.

            White hot pain burst to life as Ignis’s body recognized the fact that he’d been stabbed. He could feel the way it seized up around the blade to try and stop blood from spilling out too quickly.

            “I must say,” Ardyn said loftily, making Ignis gasp in agony as he twisted Ezania’s knife deeper, the pulse of magic also present in the motion. “You’re a bigger nuisance than I would have ever thought possible. Do stay out of the way this time.”

            And with that he savagely pulled the dagger down and out, creating a massive tear in Ignis’s flesh as he dropped him to the burning, bloodstained ground. He could see the red dripping onto the earth as he knelt on his hands and knees, and logically he knew who it belonged to, but it seemed his mind was having issues keeping up.

            There was so much blood… his blood…

            Somewhere he was dimly conscious of Noctis screaming. He let himself fall gracelessly onto his side- it was getting so very difficult to stay up. From his sideways view of the world, he could see the Accursed and the twin troopers taking Ezania away into the heart of the demon horde, his dropship lowering to meet them.

            Noctis was still yelling.

            Noctis.

            _His_ Noctis.

            Again, Ignis became painfully aware that he was very, very afraid to die alone. But after what felt like an eternity, hands pulled on his shoulders and rolled him onto his back, bringing his beloved’s tear-stained face into view.

            “M sorry,” Ignis mumbled, wanting to reach out and wipe the tears away but not being able to find the will to move. “I thought I… Thought I could help her.”

            “Stay with me Iggs,” the prince panted softly, his tears dripping off his chin as he fretted over him, brushing the wayward hairs out of his face. “You’re gonna be fine, just stay with me.”

            Ignis could feel a cold slipping into him that had nothing to do with the weather- just like he’d always heard it would be like if he were to ever bleed out. Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly- he wasn’t sure, the cold took the burning pain away from his ribs like a blessed mercy from on high.

            He’d been waiting for a special time to say those special words, but he supposed that this was his last chance to let the king of his heart know exactly how he felt.

            He offered a weak smile as Noctis continued to bawl over him breaking potion after potion across his form. They didn’t change the gaping hole in his chest where blood was pouring out- whatever Ardyn had done was preventing the magic from working.

            One hand on his prince’s was all he could manage before his meager strength for the moment was spent.

            “Noct,” he breathed with difficulty, drawing those beautiful blue eyes back to his own. “I… love you.” He smiled. Noct had always said he liked it when Ignis smiled.

            Time bent around them as Noctis grabbed his face and started yelling something through the tears he could no longer hear over the droning buzz of his own failing mind. The whole of existence was slow, cold, quiet, and numb.

            He saw Ardyn’s ship rising into the smoke-filled night sky and leave over his prince’s shoulder. A few slow blinks brought the hazy forms of Gladio, Prompto, and, eventually, Ravus. Shadows started crawling into the edges of his mind and sight as Ravus started trying to treat the injury.

            He pushed and struggled to take a pin off the edge of his cuff. The mark of the Lucian king’s advisor was embellished in the silver, and Ignis had always worn it with pride. Noct would need someone to bear the title, and Ignis pushed the tiny trinket into Ravus’s hand that settled on his chest. Then, with the last of his available effort expended, he surrendered to the darkness, silently saying goodbye to his friends and his beautiful blue-eyed prince.

            _His Noctis._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...please don't hate me...
> 
> The next chapter is entirely written (yes I promise this isn't the end), so depending on how reactions to this go, I might post it before I go on a two-week hiatus as opposed to after like I had originally planned. I kinda wanted to make the suffering last, 'distance makes the heart grow fonder' and all that, but I also think that's mean. So let me know what ~you~ would prefer:)
> 
> See y'all in the comments, or in the next update<3


	24. 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where do hot men go when they die?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This chapter brought to you by free wifi from a cafe literally in the middle of the forest! Looks like we'll get to be keeping our regular 1-3 day updates after all:)

            Ignis wasn’t quite sure where he was. The ground was shaking underneath him, rocking back and forth in a way that made him nauseous, but he lacked the strength to open his eyes. Something big screamed, and the ground moved a lot faster before tumbling away and laying still. It was calm for only a few minutes before something wrapped around his ankles and started dragging him along.

            It was only after the thing moving him stumbled and fell with a curse that Ignis gained some clarity. He knew that voice.

            He managed to crack open his eyes far enough to see a disheveled-looking Zara frantically detangling his hair from a twisted and gnarled branch in the underbrush. The shakiness of his fingers obviously wasn’t helping him at all, and eventually, frustration won out. He grabbed the stick in one hand and his hair in the other, forcibly ripping the two apart, leaving a knot of red tied around the wood.

            “Good, you’re up,” Zara huffed as Ignis shifted to get his legs under him. “We need to go.”

            “Go?”

            “Yes, as in now- _right now_. Running now, talking later.”

            They only made it a few steps before a twist in Ignis’s midsection had him falling back to the ground. A hand automatically went to the spot of the pain and triggered panic when it came away sticky with blood.

            “I’m bleeding,” he gasped, noting his shirt was soaked with red, but he felt no actual injury under the fabric.

            “Yes, you were stabbed. That typically includes blood.”

            “I was?”

            Zara made a frustrated sound as he rounded on Ignis again. “Yes! You were stabbed, you bled out and died, and then you got caught here. Now _let’s_ _go_.”

            “I don’t remember that!”

            “You will once the shock wears off.”

            His hand made a vice around Ignis’s bicep, forcibly tugging him along at a frenzied pace through the woods. There was no discernable path they were following, as far as Ignis knew, but Zara never stopped or faltered.

            “Where are we going?” He yelled as he was all but dragged through the forest on his weak legs, constantly stumbling as his brain tried to keep up.

            “I don’t know!” Zara called back.

            “ _What?_ ”

            “I’m less concerned about _where_ and more so on keeping you _conscious_  long enough to get there!”

            “ _WHAT?!”_

“Just run Ignis, we don’t have time for this!”

            And if Ignis had any doubts about his body’s ability to keep up, they were erased when he heard that scream again. Adrenaline immediately started coursing through his bloodstream in recognition of Zara’s guardian.

            Who sounded very large and very, _very_ angry.

            The twisted roots and limbs were extraordinary at catching around his feet, tripping him up as he struggled to run faster. Zara was content to let go of his arm as he caught up, the two of them sprinting through the woods in an attempt to evade their pursuer.

            “Where’s Gra’ath?” He asked as they whipped through the trees.

            “The guardian drug him off somewhere after he bucked us off his back while you were unconscious, now focus!”

            Eventually, Ignis started to notice a few things. The trees were starting to thin out, the scent of distant moisture hung in the air, and he could hear the water running far below. They must be nearing the meadow- he was sure of it.

            It wasn’t the grassy field that greeted them at the edge of the forest though. The woods gave way to a rocky cliff that dropped off suddenly into the abyss, a grey and tumultuous sea stretching out to the horizon with no other land in sight. He cautiously peered over the edge to view the harsh and rocky shore several hundred feet below, and any hope he had of maybe finding an escape that way was dashed.

            “There must be somewhere to hide,” panicked Zara, looking desperately across the barren drop off.

            “We’ve arrived at a dead end,” Ignis pointed out.

             Another angry screech echoed through the air, making Zara visibly flinch.

            “What did you do?” Ignis demanded.

            “I went to the library in search of answers- the truth,” Zara started. “But the librarian wouldn’t give me the books I’d written.” Another scream, now much closer, sent shivers pinging under the mortal’s skin. “When I persisted, it attacked me. So I fought back and took the books by force.”

            “The guardian is hunting you over books?” Ignis asked incredulous, eyeing the leather satchel the other carried as they made their way hastily down the top of the cliff in search of a hiding spot. “You read books all the time.”

            “But these are _my_ books, and I was never meant to get them back,” he panted, turning to give Ignis a somber look as an earthy wall rose up, blocking the path once again. “I broke the magic, Ignis. I skipped finding a key and just broke the lock. There is nothing stopping me from reading those and remembering everything. That’s why he’s hunting; he’s supposed to keep me ignorant.”

            There was another roar, so loud and close that Ignis could feel the pebbles on the ground shake from the might of it. The heavy beat of wings accompanied the sound, and with a passing shadow and a heavy thud, the guardian landed on the cliff side behind them.

            The only way he could think to describe the beast was like the illustrations he’d seen in fairy tales as a child. There were two large, leathery wings, and four terrifyingly clawed feet. Dark grey scales overlapped on every inch of its large hide. Small spikes traveled from the top of the spine to the tip of its tail. Horns twisted away from its skull as off-white smoke frothed from between its long fangs.

            The guardian was a _nightmare_ of a dragon, and it had finally caught up with its prey.

            “What do we do?” Zara asked frantically.

            “You’re asking me?”

            “ _You’re_ the fighter! I can only remember defensive spells, and they won’t be strong enough to protect us both.”

            There was a pause as the beast roared once again, shaking the world with its voice. It stalked forward slowly, snarling in victory knowing they had nowhere left to run.

            “I have an idea,” Zara said suddenly, pushing Ignis forward. “Keep him distracted and I’ll do my best to shield you.”

            Right. Ignis let his gaze travel over the dragon once again- searching for weak points as he heard the rapid flutter of paper in the background.

            “Are you _reading?!_ ”

            “I only remember the defensive spells, which means the others are probably in one of these books somewhere. Just keep going!”

            “‘Probably’ isn’t reassuring, Zara!”

            “Well it’s the best we’ve got at the moment!”

            Ignis was glad he’d taken up gymnastics as he tucked and rolled around the swiping claws and equally grateful Zara seemed to be able to cast a quick magic barrier when Ignis wasn’t going to be out of the way in time, despite his preoccupation with the books. The guardian tracked Ignis, no doubt realizing he would get in the way of whatever he was supposed to do with the immortal if not taken out first.

            That seemed to suit Zara’s plans just fine.

            Ignis seized up as another twist echoed through his core, interrupting a parry and landing him square on his back. The demon-like creature rose up on its hind legs with a screech of victory as it plunged down for the kill.

            Ignis couldn’t help but think there were very few people who could say they’d been killed twice in one day.

            But the fatal strike never came as a thrust of magic whistled through the air and knocked the beast onto its back. One of its massive wings cracked under its own weight, the sickening crunch turning Ignis’s stomach. With a scream of pain, the monster rolled onto its side, dragging its broken appendage on the ground as it scampered around in a circle.

            The beast wasn’t stupid- Ignis knew that. This thing had been watching and barring Zara from escape for a minimum of two thousand years. It had charged against him thinking he would be the easier target, being mortal and unable to cast any magic save what Noctis bottled for him to use. It hadn’t counted on Zara re-learning how to attack from a defensive stance. Now that it knew they were both equipped to fight, it was slinking backward to rethink its strategy. The tensing around its neck and mouth led Ignis to believe they were about to see the cause of all that white smoke wreathing around its head.

            He had been expecting fire, but that wasn’t what came spraying from the demon’s jaws. Instead, a sickly green liquid shot out, splashing against Ignis’s arm as he rolled away. Pain flared as the skin bubbled and turned black- instantly burning away.

            Ignis took note and re-categorized the beast: a nightmare demon dragon- who could breathe acid.

            The putrid solution sizzled on the rocks as well, turning them into a pool of molten mineral soup where it landed. A thin amber film developed on the surface a few moments after. He was so caught up trying to avoid the death puddles that the beast clipped him with a claw as it drew close again, knocking him down a second time.

            Ignis was sure it would burn, but the green liquid didn’t splash when he landed on top of them. He was confused until he felt the almost imperceptible tingle of magic against his ruined skin. Zara had cast a barrier over the top to them to cut off the threat.

            “Try to lure him closer to the edge,” the redhead called from his place behind the advisor. “I have a plan!”

            Was this how Noct and the others felt when he asked for a specific fight arrangement against enemies? It was certainly a foreign feeling coursing through his blood as he moved to draw the guardian in- he was used to being the one making plans.

            It seemed the guardian recognized it was being baited, refusing to come closer as Ignis danced precariously close to the drop off to avoid streams of acid. That attitude quickly changed when Zara rushed across the field to join him by the cliffs. With both his targets in one space, the creature was bounding in to snap and claw at them. Ignis could feel magic flinging him around when he moved too slowly, and Zara seemed perpetually just a hairs breath away from being clawed to pieces.

            Step by step they inched closer to the end of the rocks, the beast following them all the while- pushing for a chance to throw them off the edge. Ignis could feel the pebbles slipping out from under his boots as they ran out of room to back up. The beast dug its claws into the rocks, rooting himself in case Zara should try to force it back again, a feeling of gloating emanating as it preened for a moment, realizing it had them cornered.

            “Nothing we do now is going to make it go back,” Ignis hissed.

            “I wasn’t planning on forcing it back,” the redhead smirked as unseen magic twisted around the mortal’s legs and lifted him through the air. Zara dissolved in a shimmer of light as the guardian’s maw came down, clamping around the empty air as the wind cut through with force from behind, catching the creature’s wings and hurling it forward. Another snap indicated the force of the spell had ruined the other leathery limb, leaving the guardian to tumble over the cliff and down to the harsh shore below.

            Ignis panted as he sprawled across the rocks, Zara skidding down from behind a rock set a ways up the wall that had blacked them earlier. Pain was shooting through his middle as his muscles twitched again around an injury he couldn’t find.

            “Are you alright? I didn’t mean to throw you so hard,” the semi-divine gasped as he skidded to a halt by the prone advisor. “Tell me what you need, I’ll help you.”

            “Its fine,” he choked out, biting back the stinging tears. “It’s fading.”

            While Ignis breathed through the rest of the pain his companion went and peered over the edge of the cliff to the waterline below, pulling a face.

            “That ought to keep him down for a while at least,” he said, returning to the other’s side. “We should probably come up with a better plan for next time.”

            “Next time?” Ignis groaned as he sat up. “You threw him off a massive cliff onto rocks that could ruin a behemoth. Surely that’s the end of it.”

            “I imagine it would have ruined my captor’s fun if either of us were able to die and stay dead.”

            “You say that like you’ve tried.”

            “Indeed,” the Remnant said, frowning. “He’s killed me as punishment more times than I’d care to count. But I reckon that’s what happens when you’re stuck in a world between worlds: you can’t pass to the embrace of life _or_ death.”

            “So I’m here because I’m dead but haven’t… crossed over or something?”

            “I think that would be a fair way to put it,” Zara mused as he sat next to Ignis on the ground. He pulled his satchel into his lap, unbuckling the top flap to reveal five tomes in addition to the white book Ignis had procured for them. He pulled one out, thinner than the others and pristine in its white leather cover. “I hope these will have answers to many of our questions.”

            “You certainly put a lot of effort into getting them,” the blonde chuckled without humor, a dark mood setting over him.

            “You are troubled,” Zara observed.

            “I’m dead,” was the response, tears prickling behind the advisor’s eyes. “I’m _dead_.”

            “Everyone dies, eventually,” the ginger said, gently place a hand on the deceased mortal’s shoulder. “At least you got to be happy for a little while in the world of men.”

            “What will happen to Noctis?” His eyes began to drip, and he could feel the knot tighten in his throat.

            “I do not know, Ignis, but I’m sure fate has a plan.”

            “I failed,” he cried, burying his face in his hands. “I promised I would be there always, and I failed.”

            A woman’s voice interrupted the crying. “You stood by him until the very end, did you not?”

            The pair turned to see Lady Lunafreya standing at the edge of the wood, a sad smile on her lips and her eyes closed, much like how Gentiana appeared. But something was wrong- this Luna was… different.

            “The world of men has changed since the Rite of Leviathan,” she continued. “The Gods bend the words of a history that has not yet come to pass. That history lies not on the shoulders of the King, but of those who will support him.”

            The duo stood in surprise when the rocks started to shake, and the breeze picked up to a howling gale as Luna opened her eyes to reveal solid purple irises ringed with black.

            “As the Gods have commanded and decreed within the halls of Heaven,” Not-Luna said, her voice taking on a low, distorted quality as it shook the world. “You, Ignis- Servant of The King, shall live today, and every day hence, until the time comes for Light to stand against Darkness. The hour has come for thy trials to begin.”

            The thrum of power filled the air, the wind whipping ever faster around them until a cyclone started to form. The force pushed Zara back to his knees, an unseen pressure keeping him from moving on his own, purple tendils of magic winding around his arm to root him in place. A black stain started frothing along the rocks, twisting outward and around Ignis until the ground slipped out from under his body.

            Ignis could feel his stomach twist as he started to fall into the rift and out of instinct, he reached to grab something to stop. The world slowed down as his hand found purchase in Zara’s black robe and satchel, shock crossing the other man’s face as the force ripped him free of his violet bonds and Ignis accidentally pulled him into the Void.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notice how the tags changed to *TEMPORARY* death:) Also- I actually have no idea if dragons are a real thing in Final Fantasy games, but I figured the draconian is a thing, so I went with it haha.  
> Also-also- would anyone be willing to hear about some Ravus/ Ezania stuff in another work? I have several of their scenes plotted out, but I just don’t think they’d work as well in this story as they would in their own:)  
> What do you think will happen next?? Tell me in the comments- I love hearing your guy's theories!


	25. 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What do you do when you get sent back to a place you haven't seen in 2,000+ years? Harass the locals, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man. This was hard to write idk why. Anyway. Enjoy~

            His stomach felt like lead as they floated through the darkness. He couldn’t see Zara next to him, but something in his mind told him the ancient was still there. He wasn’t sure how long they spent adrift in the black; it could have been a few minutes or a few days. The silence ringing in his ears pounded like the heartbeat of a million behemoths. Or maybe it was just _his_ heartbeat echoing in the suffocating quiet.

            In the absence of anything, Ignis felt like he was being pushed on by _everything_. The darkness was a sentient force that wrapped its phantom fingers around his soul and squeezed, curling tighter and tighter until the man thought he might explode. The silence was too loud, the darkness too bright, and the lack of substance downright overwhelming.

            Panic was bubbling in his chest, hard and frantic. Was this it? Was this what they were going to endure for the rest of time? He could feel the scream worming its way up his throat, clawing for a chance to get out and be swallowed by the void. As he took a deep breath to let it escape, air did not enter his lungs.

            Instead, the façade of darkness began to break. Something heavy and cold poured down into his lungs, and the deafening sound of water cracked through as liquid bubbled up around his legs, climbing higher and higher despite his confused attempts to shake it off him. The force squeezed him even tighter as deep grey and midnight blue streaks danced across his vision in the darkness.

            Should he try to fight it?

            Should he try to flee?

            Fleeing won out in the end. He kicked and thrashed- hoping the erratic movements would be enough to break free of whatever was holding him hostage. With a particularly savage swing, he managed to turn. Black turned to murky grey. There was hope as he spied the mass of light, beckoning him towards salvation from this nightmare. If only he could reach it… just a little closer… keep kicking, just a little longer…

            His hand clawed through the grey and into the open air, his head breaking through moments after as the grip around him shattered. He bobbed in the water, gasping for air just before another brutal set of rapids pulled him back down into the river’s watery depths. The murky water held no sign of his missing redhead- only mud and silt. His attempts to return to the surface were dashed as the rapids pushed him down into the rocks, the current pulling him across the riverbed and into the arms of an underwater plant.

            The wooden limbs twisted into his clothes and clutched at his skin, each frantic tug only ensnaring him further. He couldn’t keep holding his breath; spots were already starting to form in the corners of his vision. His body reflexively forced him to inhale, dragging the cloudy water into his lungs and suffocating him. It was burning.

            He beat against the branches with his one free hand, the instinctual need to survive screaming in the back of his mind. He tried calling for his daggers, hoping to cut his way free, but the magic wouldn’t come into his hands. He could tell he was getting weaker- lack of oxygen was dulling his senses and making his flails seem more like tiny jerks.

            He started to black out. One blink showed the light stilting through the choppy surface; the next had shadow blocking the way. White lines plucked at the caught strings of his clothes, severing his tie to the riverbed before he was pulled up to the banks.

            Zara only had to put one well-aimed punch to Ignis’s midsection to get him coughing up dirty water. The advisor rolled onto his hands and knees, his lungs continuing to spasm long after the liquid had been ejected.

            “For a man who’s not supposed to die,” Zara gasped, flopping into a wet heap next to him. “You sure do find yourself in several near-death situations.”

            Ignis could only find enough will to groan as he drooped to his side. He noted through cracked eyes that the redhead’s robe was missing- exposing the garments he wore underneath. Black leather wrapped around his form, the high-waisted trousers leading down into a sturdy pair of matching boots that dully reminded him of the ones glaives wore. His shirt was secured by a thin strap around his neck, the back scooping down low much like his robe had- no doubt to keep the garment concealed under the heavy fabric.

            “Thanks for the help,” Ignis groaned out, clambering to his feet and looking around. “Where are we?”

            “I haven’t the faintest idea,” Zara said, grabbing his satchel from a way down the bank and pulling the sopping books out with a frown. “I haven’t been in this world in eons- anything I knew would be long gone by now.”

            He started laying the tomes out on the rocks, flipping the pages open gently. Heaving a sigh of relief when he saw the ink hadn’t run from within the pages, Zara gently fanned them out to dry.

            “We aren’t in Nifelhiem anymore, that’s for sure,” Ignis observed.

            “How can you tell?”

            “It’s too warm, and the trees haven’t dropped their leaves yet,” he said, looking around at the autumnal scenery. “I think we may be back in Lucis based on the weather, it wouldn’t be winter there yet, but we’ll have to focus on that later.” Ignis drew the ginger’s attention to the sky. “The sun is getting low. We have to find somewhere safe to rest before the demons come out.”

            Zara gathered his few meager things that had been pulled through with him, reverently tucking the soggy books back into his damp bag and throwing his robe over his shoulder. Ignis decided to head southwest, following the sun for what little daylight remained. They would just have to hope they found a haven in time.

            The sun was sinking much faster than it had before. Soon, if legends were to be believed after the anomalies they’d witnessed, the light would stop rising altogether. Perpetual darkness meant perpetual demons, and _that_ was something he was not looking forward to.

            The river flowed next to them in the few hours they hiked, occasionally curving away and out of sight before returning. All in all, it was easy to pretend Zara wasn’t the one keeping pace slightly behind him, Ignis’s imagination casually slipping into the memories of their merry band of retainers had tramped and trotted all over wooded countrysides just like this at the behest of their prince.

            His prince, his Noctis, was somewhere out in this massive world thinking that Ignis was still dead- and that hurt more than anything. They’d only had a few scant weeks together before being brutally ripped apart by that infuriating hell-spawned abomination. The spot he’d been stabbed throbbed at the memory of his face, recalling that sick and grotesque grin he’d worn while he murdered someone like it was a regular Sunday afternoon experience.

            He was so caught up in it he almost missed the blue light and smoke glinting in the distance- a haven at long last. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and adjusted their course, leaving the babbling river behind as they made their way across a meadow in the middle of the forest. His legs burned as they pushed up the last bit of the steep hill the haven rested on, but peace settled as he crossed over the shining runes and let himself drop to the rock by the fire circle in the middle. The stone wall rising up at the back was tall enough to cast the magic-imbued plateau in shadow, and the covering was just enough to make him feel drowsy.

            “These runes are old,” Zara said as he gently set his bag down. “They’re Sol markings.”

            “The first Oracle traveled all over the world to make these havens as a way to escape the sickness,” Ignis recited, throwing a hand over his eyes. That story was all Noct had wanted to talk about after coming home from Tenebrae, saying one day he and Lunafreya would go out and make more.

            “Sickness?”

            Ignis lifted his arm and shot the redhead a look. “The Starscourge. That thing Ardyn has been inflicting on the world since becoming the Accursed.”

            “Forgive me,” Zara said with a weak smile. “I have only been able to observe bits and pieces of this world since being secluded. I don’t have the most perfect knowledge of what’s happened while I’ve been away. I’m afraid I haven’t any idea what sicknesses are and are not related to demons.”

            “Just the Scourge. Wasn’t it around before?”

            “Perhaps, but I’m fairly sure I never encountered it. I was sealed away before the Astral War. I remember being sure I had done something to distort my scrying when I found out about that. But no- the Gods were all fighting and no one really knew why.”

            “How old were you when you got… taken away?”

            “I couldn’t have been more than twenty,” he huffed, tracing the runes with his boot. “Or at least I think it was close to that age. I don’t really know anymore, after everything that’s happened.”

            “Well at least now you have a way to find out,” Ignis yawned, closing his eyes with a vague gesture to the leather bag holding the stolen memoirs. “What do you think you’ll find?” He was met with silence. “Zara?” He peeled his eyes open even as they screamed from exhaustion and turned his head, watching the other man for a moment as he gazed out past the rock wall to whatever view was beyond. “Zara?” he tried again.

            “What is _that_?” asked the Remnant in awe, his voice soft and his books forgotten.

            Ignis got up and dusted off his pants as he walked the short distance to the edge of the haven, giving a small laugh when he rounded the end of the wall.

            “Was this not here when you were sealed off before the Astrals’ had their war? Everyone says this has been here since the dawn of time.”

            “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

            “Then let me be the first to introduce you to the Rock of Ravatough, where Ifrit lies in state. And that,” he said, turning the older man further to the east with a gasp. “That is the Disc of Cauthess- made when Titan caught a meteor. Which means we must have come up in the River Wennath.”

            “So Titan is in the valley and Ifrit is in the mountain?”

            “Well, Titan _used_ to be in the valley. No one knows where he went after Noctis received his blessing.”

            “What about the others?” Zara asked animatedly as Ignis returned to his spot by the pit to build a fire.

            “Shiva is in Ghorovas Rift in Nifelhiem, Ramuh rests at Anglegard, and Leviathan churns the seas near the remnants of her temple in Altissia.”

            “What of the draconian?”

            “No one knows,” Ignis sighed with a futile flex of his hand. His magic tie to Noctis’s Armiger was still absent, so it seemed like he would be doing this the old-fashioned way. He moved down the hillside to gather some fuel, returning to a pacing Zara.

            “Why would the others stay if Bahamut left?” he asked as soon as Ignis put the wood down.

            “We don’t know that he did leave.”

            “But if he did?”

            “Zara-”

            “I don’t have a book for this, Ignis. I’ve never encountered this world the way you have. You’re my only recourse to learn.”

            “…I’m trying to build a fire.”

            Zara leaned over and stuck his hand in the middle of the stick tower Ignis was building in the fire pit, the dry wood instantly crackling to life.

            “There, the fire is built. Now tell me about what’s changed!”

            “You aren’t going to leave me alone until I answer, are you?”

            “For months I’ve been trying to teach you about my world. Now it’s time for me to learn about yours,” he said with a smile, looking all around like a kid on holiday- kind of like how Noctis was when something caught his interest. “You wouldn’t leave a man to suffer in ignorance, would you?”

            “Alright,” Ignis said, settling back and saying goodbye to any hope of taking a nap. “What do you want to know?”

***

            Zara was a plethora of endless questions, and every single answer Ignis was able to give only sprouted five more lines of curiosity from the enigma across the fire as he carefully dried the pages of his books. Eventually, the redhead seemed to catch on to his companion’s tiredness, sheepishly apologizing for the distraction and leaving Ignis to drift in and out of wakefulness as he pleased.

            Dawn found him smiling softly over Zara’s form as he lay sprawled between the texts while using his robe as a blanket. He wanted to make it to a phone soon though and get his bearings on time, so he made to wake the Remnant.

            Getting Noct to wake up and eat vegetables for breakfast would have been easier.

            For the better part of an hour Ignis pestered the redheaded sleeping beauty to get up, and after two it seemed like the other man finally heard him, stretching his limbs with a pop and yawning.

            The sun was moving rapidly across the sky as they made way towards the road connecting to the highway. Having a steady idea of where he was put motivation into Ignis’s limbs, and they trekked across the hilly view with ease.

            “I think the Vespara used to be around here,” Zara said as they moved, his eyes tracking the skyline.

            “What’s that?” Ignis asked, humoring the conversation as they came upon the bridge towards Lestallum.

            “It was a big scrying lake. The people went there because the natural magic was strong, and they’d send messages to their loved ones buried in the Vespara Tombs nearby. With the Astrals in state though, I’ve no doubt the practice has been lost to time.”

            “There’s the Vesperpool to the north,” Ignis supplied. “It’s not a place for the faint of heart though; powerful demons tend to flock there.”

            “If it’s the same place then I’m not surprised. The magic would still be there, even if most people have lost the ability to channel it. Based on what you’ve told me I think they’d be drawn to that.”

            A car came clunking down the pavement, swerving slightly to avoid the pedestrians walking down the road, the driver lifting a hand to wave. Ignis could just _feel_ the question Zara was going to ask.

            _“What was that?!”_

***

            They’re almost to the gas station when sounds of fighting draw their attention to one of the many fields running alongside the highway. A large black dropship was settled on the ground, troopers pouring out to deal with whatever had triggered their activation. A look was all the two needed to share before silently agreeing to assist, breaking into a jog as soon as they’d cleared the guardrail.

            Ignis doubled that into a sprint when he caught sight of a blue trail of magic fizzing out after a warp, Zara lagging slightly behind. It couldn’t be, could it?

            A shot through the helmet toppled the last of the magitech men just as Ignis came into range, ultimately useless for the fight in the end. They were panting and Prompto had oil slicked down his arm in a gooey black mess, but Ignis didn’t care. No, he only had eyes for the puff of black hair in the middle that was facing the other way.

            Noct startled when arms wrapped around his shoulders, not expecting to be hugged directly after being ambushed. When he turned in Ignis’s arms, there was a moment of silent shock before a watery smile split the prince’s face and he surged up into the embrace.

            The happy feeling fled when the sound of weapons being summoned pulled them from their world of seclusion. Turning, Ignis felt a twinge of alarm as Gladio leveled his massive blade at one particularly confused redhead.

            “Who the hell are _you_?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Zara has no idea what's been going on in Eos. Divinity can only do so much when you're trapped in a netherworld.
> 
> See ya next time!


	26. 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To love I suffered, both foul and fair,  
> Until to Death I lost thy honey'd hair.  
> The funeral bells, the oil's cloy,  
> Did steal from me the taste of joy.  
> So long I held to the sting of Strife,  
> But then God brought you back to life.  
> -Elainia MarKesh, 1786.  
> AKA- everyone is crying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehehe. Angsty Fluff Chapter because I am in A Mood. Enjoy~ (◡‿◡✿)~

            Zara looked at the blade pointing towards his chest, a frown creasing his features.

            “Gladio, don’t,” Ignis started, taking a step towards the larger man, only for Prompto to get in the way. His gun was drawn, and while it was pointed to the ground Ignis knew the look on his face. It was the same expression glaives made when they didn’t want to fight but would if they needed to.

            It felt like ice in his heart- they didn’t trust him.

            “We saw you fuckin _die_ , Iggy,” the Shield of the King ground out. “Nobody comes back from that. But now you’re here with some pleather princess? I’m not buying it.” He geared his arm back for a swing. “It’s a _trap_!”

            The blade swung in a whirlwind headed to finish the interloper in one blow even as Noct yelled for him to wait. Ignis could see Zara’s red eyes flash just seconds before the large broadsword hit him, and it instantly shattered into a million tiny fractals that glinted in the sun.

            “I am an ensign of the _Gods_ , boy,” the redhead said, power pooling in the air around him as his voice shook Gladio to his knees before softening. “Perhaps you should listen to your friends before picking a fight with Divinity.”

            “A High Messenger?” Prompto gasped, letting his gun fall back to his side.

            “The Gods’ Remnant,” Noctis corrected. “This is the guy who’s been helping Ignis look for answers about Ardyn.”

            With a snap of his fingers the crystalline shards of Gladio’s weapon reformed and dropped into his pale hand. The semi-divine gave it a swing before shaking his head and embedding the blade in the ground.

            “Too heavy,” he muttered as he walked by. He spared a glance at Prompto, pointing at his gun. “Too new for now, but you’re teaching me to use that later.” Moving on, he brushed past Ignis and pressed a hand on Noctis’s chest, the young man gasping as the hand went _inside_ and emerged with the Katana of The Warrior. Zara gave it a few whirls before smiling and putting both hands on the blade. With a twist of the wrist, magic swirled in the air presenting a perfect carbon copy of the Royal Arm.

            He dismissed Noct’s version with its typical hiss of blue, inspecting the replica for a few more moments before it disappeared with a shimmer of light. He reached back through and pulled out Ignis’s daggers, making duplicates of them as well before tossing the originals to the Advisor.

            “Those are yours, yes?” he said in response to the confused look. “I noticed you were having issues with the summons.”

            “Dudes,” Prompto said, eyes wide.

            “What?” Zara asked, taking in the dumbfounded looks around him. “We can’t be the only ones who don’t have a weapon. And I now have a physical form which comes with physical limitations. It wouldn’t be practical for me to rely on sorcery for everything.”

            “Astrals above,” Ignis muttered, pulling a shocked Noctis closer to his side.

            “Handy, isn’t it?” Zara smiled. “I figured out how to manipulate other energies from a passage I read last night. I’m relearning all sorts of tricks!”

            “That’s not what I meant,” he said, shaking his head. “No one can access the Royal Armiger without being connected to the primary source. You shouldn’t have been able to _do_ that.”

            “These two pulled from it without issue.”

            “ _We’re_ bonded to Noctis,” Gladio growled, still mistrusting.

            “Then I apologize,” the redhead sighed, his face falling. “I was unaware there were steps to follow. It was wrong of me to assume.”

            “So…” Prompto eased in through the tension. “How _did_ you do that?”

            “The nexus, or what did you call it Ignis? The Armiger? Right, the Armiger is connected to His Majesty’s core- tying it together in both a physical and spiritual sense. Manipulating his aural energies can-“

            Ignis lost interest in the rest of the explanation as a warm hand slid into his and tugged him a few feet off- behind the newly abandoned airship. Noct’s arms were quick to slide up around the blond’s neck, holding him tightly as his charge buried his face into Ignis’s neck. There was a shift in the air as his charge’s shock wore off, and it pained Ignis to know all he could do was hold on.

            He didn’t pull away as the royal’s shoulders began to shake, the silent tears soaking into his collar as they slid down the side of the aircraft. The arms circled tighter, the sobs came harder, and soon they were both tangled on the ground crying.

            “I thought I lost you,” Noctis hiccupped, pulling back slightly to run his fingers through the light hair and stroke his face. “I kept asking you to come back but you wouldn’t wake up. And then they took you away. I told them not to but they took you away and then I… I had to… to _bury_ you Ignis. You were gone and it was all my fault. I lost you…” The tears surged anew, cutting off whatever else the man wanted to say as he fought for breath.

            Ignis rubbed tiny circles into the sobbing man’s sides, quiet as he waited for Noct to empty out all his feelings. He wanted to speak, to apologize and promise to never leave again, but part of him knew that wasn’t what his prince needed right now.

            “But you came back,” Noct laughed through the tears. “You were gone for so long, and _Gods_ I missed you so much, but now you’re _back_. You’re here.”

            Ignis took both of his beloved’s hands in his own and looked into those blue eyes he loved so much. “I came home,” he agreed. “And I hope to never leave again.”

            The younger reached up and pulled Ignis in for a tear-stained kiss, peppering his face with presses of his lips before tucking himself back under the advisor’s chin. He pulled the prince into his lap, curling around him just as protectively while he pet his soft black hair.

            “Now we know,” he whispered softly, hoping to calm his love. “Not even death is strong enough to keep me from your side.”

            In spite of his soft words, Ignis felt a hard weight settle in his gut. His death felt like it came the day before yesterday, but how long had it been for Noctis? How many nights did his beloved have to spend alone as they made their way from Nifelhiem back to Lucis? How long had his Noctis spent suffering and mourning while Ignis was off fighting dragons and floating in darkness? How long did Noctis have to wait before they were safe enough to give him a grave? Gods above, he had a _grave_.

            A small cough drew him from his reverie and turned his attention to the redhead standing by the mouth of the ship.

            “I hate to intrude on such a private moment,” Zara said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “But the abrasive one says we need to go if we are to beat darkness back to camp.”

            “He’s right,” Noct said, pulling back and wiping the moisture from his eyes. “The sun will go down soon.”

            “It’s only been up for a few hours,” Ignis reminded him. “Surely we have plenty of time to spare.”

            “Not with the way things are going Iggy.” The prince stood and brushed himself off. “Days are getting shorter much faster than they were before. Within the next few weeks, it will probably stop getting light at all.”

            “Oi! Lovebirds!” Gladio yelled from a distance as they came around the ship. “Let’s move it! It’s almost four so Ravus is gonna be at the pickup spot any minute now!”

            Prompto clapped Ignis on the shoulder as they joined the group, moving at a jog up the hillside and vaulting the steps back up to the street. From there it was a short run to the parking spot under a lamp post with a few green stripes painted around the pole.

            “Green stripes are the new signal for pickup zones,” Prompto said, pointing it out to Ignis and Zara. “Lots of folks have been really enthusiastic about sending any extra supplies they’ve got for a community storehouse once the lights go out.”

            “We got people who drive up and down the highway every few hours to pick up stuff that’s dropped off or people who want to come help out in Lestallum,” Gladio added. “Ravus should be on his way straight here though, no stops.”

            “But it looks like he’s out of the game again,” Prompto sighed disappointedly as the distinct purr of the Regalia came around the bend with a curly head of blonde locks sitting in the driver’s seat.

            “Is that also an automobile?” Zara asked in a whisper next to Ignis’s ear as Cindy pulled in.

            “Yes,” Ignis laughed, amused by the undercurrent of excitement in the other’s voice. “And we’re going to ride in it all the way to the next city over.”

            “Actually, that’s gonna be a problem,” Prompto chirped. “There are six of us, and the Regalia holds a max of five.”

             “Howdy y’all! Do we got ourselves a few extra bodies?” Cindy asked as she slid out the driver side door before stumbling with a gasp. “Well, I’ll be! Everyone’s been sayin’ you were dead there in with the Niffs, Ignis!” She shook her head in disbelief tears gathering in her eyes. “I don’t know how you did it, mister,” she said with a pause to wipe her eyes. “But I’m glad you’re back.”

            She gave him a quick friendly pat on the arm, which was the Cindy equivalent of a bear hug.

            “We got a problem blondie,” Gladio said, leaning up against the car. “We don’t have enough seats for all of us.”

            “Don’t y’all be worryin’,” she said, waving his concern off. “I reckon we’ll all just have to be extra friendly for a while.” She waltzed over to the new ginger addition and gave him a smile. “You sure look new here. I’m Cindy- the one who takes care of the ol’ girl Regalia. If you’re fixin’ to help out, then let me say welcome to the team!”

            She stuck out her hand, but Zara wrapped his fingers around her forearm with a solid shake. The woman looked confused but kept smiling as she let go and turned back towards the car.

            “Y’all figure out how you’re ridin’. We ain’t got all day,” she called over her shoulder.

            “I’ll just sit on the back of the trunk,” Noctis said easily. “Then you only have to make room for a pair of legs.”

            “Absolutely not,” Ignis deadpanned. “That’s far too dangerous.” Noctis rolled his eyes at the statement.  “Zara will ride on the back.”

            “ _What?!”_ Noctis said, turning to give him a pleading look. “Why does he get to have the fun spot?”

            “One, because _I_ want to sit next to you in the back and two, Zara can’t die if he should somehow fall off.”

            “See,” Cindy smiled, adjusting one of her leg covers. “Problem’s done gone and practically solved itself. Let’s get back now. It’s an hour drive and Paw-paw ain’t keen on waitin’.”

            They piled in, Cindy and Prompto in the front with Gladio, Ignis, and Noctis in the back. Zara perched himself on the lip with his crossed legs trapping the Shield against the door. It was still a tight fit, but Ignis wasn’t going to complain about getting a chance to press up to his prince for an hour.

            Zara laughed when the car pulled out of the parking spot and started picking up speed. The wind whipped his hair away from his face, the small braids on the side of his head looking like something akin to coeurl whiskers. Every once in a while he would lean down and ask one of them what something off in the distance was- drawing more than one confused glance from Cindy through the rearview mirror.

            After a while, once he got used to moving with the speed of the car, the ginger pulled out one of his books, flipping through the pages for the rest of the trip. Ignis relished in the quiet as Noct curled into his arm, occasionally whispering in his ear about something he noticed. The heat of his prince’s body sent comforting shivers down his spine- it was something he’d grown used to having in the time since they’d admitted how they felt.

            “So, uh, Remnant Dude,” Prompto said, turning around in the front seat as they neared the town. “Do you like, got a name or something? Or do we just call you The Remnant? The Rem. Remmy. Remington.”

            “Yeah, now that you mention it, we never did ask before,” Gladio agreed, putting his own book down to give the ginger a look.

            “I do believe you called me a ‘Pleather Princess’ when we first arrived,” he said with a dry humor. “I’ve no idea what ‘pleather’ means, but I’ve never been referred to as _royalty_ before, even if for the incorrect binary. Maybe we should just keep that.”

            “Come now Zara, no need to be snarky,” Ignis admonished with a laugh.

            “Besides, Gladio already calls me princess,” Noct sassed, leaning further into Ignis’s side.

            “Oooooh,” Prompto smiled. “Zara. That’s cool.”

            “It’s a right purdy name,” Cindy agreed. “Where’s it from, if ya don’t mind my askin’?”

            “I was born in the late era of Solheim,” the ginger said proudly.

            Cindy jerked in surprise, the car swerving into the other lane for several moments before she righted the wheel, although she continued to gape through the mirror.

            “You’re kiddin’ me, right?”

            “He’s quite serious,” Ignis responded.

            “Boys comin’ back from the dead and now an ancient in our midst, heavens above the world’s gone right sideways ain’t it?” She shook her head with wide eyes. “Just you wait till Paw-paw hears about this one!”

            “How much further to this city?” Zara asked, shifting from his perch to place his legs on the back of the seats as well.

            “Just ‘round that there bend up in the road,” Cindy answered. “Should be able to see it nice and clear as we come up the hill.”

            True to her word, as they came around the climbing bend Lestallum stood in the distance. Green stripes started appearing more frequently as they drove the last ten minutes into town, Zara silent as he took in the view.

            “It’s massive,” he mumbled as they parked and got out. “And everything is so… _big_.”

            Strings of red flags were hung between the buildings, various emblems of fire and light emblazoned on them in gold thread. That must mean-

            “Is the Festival of Ifrit happening?” he asked.

            “Yes sir,” Cindy said, tossing him the keys. “The celebrations start tomorrow. Folks are getting real into the spirit this time around, given the lack of light that’s been coming on. That’s the whole reason Paw-paw and I are here. We’re helpin’ Holly get a few things ready.”

            “But that means…” His head was spinning, and he felt like his legs might give out.

            “Ignis?” Noct asked, looking concerned.

            “I was gone for nearly two months?”

            The prince’s eyes darkened with sadness for a moment. “Yeah. You were. But you’re back now- and that’s what matters.”

            “And I’d say that calls for a celebration at the diner,” Gladio decreed, a notion the rest of the group agreed with as they headed towards their favored café.

            “Hey dudes,” Prompto said, pausing as they reached the top of the stairs and looking towards the Leville. “You guys go ahead. I’m gonna check on Ravus real quick.”

            “I’d leave him be Camera,” Cindy warned. “The fella said he ain’t in the mood to be seein’ folks when I dropped by to visit him earlier. He’s havin’ another one of his rough days.”

            “Oh.” Prompto looked crestfallen. “I was hoping he’d been feeling better today.”

            “He was certainly less mopey yesterday and the day before,” Noct added. “But I get it if he needs a break.”

            “Can you blame him? Imagine losing your girl and your best friend on the same day. I feel bad not inviting him, though. He’d want to know Iggy is back, right?”

            “Shoot him a text,” Gladio suggested. “He only has to pay attention to those if he wants to.”

            “Hey man,” Prompto exclaimed, instantly lighting up again. “That’s a good idea!”

            They settled into their usual spot under one of the umbrella tables after pulling over a few extra chairs. Their waiter handed out menus, the pictures eliciting a loud growl from Zara’s stomach.

            “Hungry much dude?” Prompto laughed as he shot off the text he’d been writing.

            “I haven’t eaten any real food for a few thousand years,” the redhead chuckled along. “That’s long enough to work up an appetite, isn’t it?”

            The group laughed and ordered, food and drinks arriving on the table soon after. They stayed there for several hours, making a point to avoid any serious topics of discussion and just relax until long after the sun had disappeared and the soft electric lights from the streetlamps came up.

            Ravus never joined them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so mean to the Ravnia ship. (Yes I gave my own secondary couple a ship name- fight me its adorable) For once I don't have a paragraph's worth of stuff I wanna say at the end of the chapter. Huh.
> 
> See you next time on the Feels Trip!


	27. 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ravus is Sad Boi, Prompto is frustrated, Tough Love Gladio is... well, Gladio. Noct and Iggy are adorbs, and Gentiana swoops in for a while.
> 
> ^Don't be fooled by my carefree annotations. This is a serious chapter lol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooohhhh boy. This one gets depressing y'all. But for the sake of the storyline, it needs to happen.
> 
> WARNING WARNING WARNING!!!!!!!!!! ---> This chapter has a SERIOUS dialogue about depression-induced Anorexia. I usually try to stay away from potentially triggering stuff like that, but given what's happened to the characters and based on experiences in my own life, I felt like this was an appropriate addition. It probably won't carry on much into later chapters, but it's pretty prevalent in this one.

            The group had been given a set of four rooms in the hotel with a social hub of sorts in the middle and a full kitchen off to the side. It was much too large and nice to be the kind they could regularly afford, but the proprietor insisted they take the suite as thanks for the work they were doing to help the civilians. Gladio and Prompto had been sharing one room, Noctis and Ravus had each taken their own, and the fourth had been left for whenever Cindy or Iris came to town to work or pick things up.

            Three of the rooms stood open, waiting for their regular occupants. Outside the closed door of the fourth was a small side table. Ignis crinkled his nose at the plate it held, noting with distaste that it had obviously been left sitting there undisturbed since breakfast if its contents were anything to go by.

            Prompto seemed to notice it too, his shoulders slumping as he walked over with the bag of food he’d ordered to go from a different restaurant on the way back. Pausing for a second, he shook his head and bounced on his feet before plastering on a smile and knocking on the door.

            “Hey, Rav! It’s your buddy Prompto! I brought you some food from the little place down the street you like!” The was a dull murmur from the other side of the door. “Are you sure? I got you your favorite.” Another muted sound. “Ok, well I’ll just leave it here on the table in case you change your mind!”

            The normally exuberant young man frowned as he moved the untouched plate and set the bag of takeout down in his place.

            “Why don’t you put your stuff in with Noct’s Iggy? And since Miss Cindy is staying with Holly tonight, Zara can take the other room,” he said, keeping up the falsely cheery tone while his face pulled tighter. He then turned and shot Noct and Gladio an urgent look. “You guys wanna help me carry all this other stuff into the kitchen?”

            The two lightheartedly agreed, even though Prompto was left holding nothing but the plate.

            Ignis dropped his daggers onto the bed in what he hoped was the room Noctis was using. There were a small carbuncle figure and a ball cap on the nightstand, so he figured it was right. Zara went into the room to the left, and Ignis didn’t wait for him to come back out before heading to the kitchen to see what on Eos was going on.

            “What do we do guys?” Prompto was saying. The tone was dark, so unusual for the bubbly twenty-year-old. Ignis hesitated by the door, peeking around the edge into the kitchen as he listened in. Prompto had suggested he go somewhere else while the three of them talked. Was it something they didn’t want him to know?

            “I don’t think there’s much we _can_ do,” Gladio sighed, running a hand down his face.

            “So what? We just let him starve himself?” Prompto huffed as he tried to scrub the stuck egg and bacon grease off the food ware before giving up and letting the dish sink none too gently back into the soapy water. “I haven’t seen him eat at all lately. He hasn’t even touched the food we’ve been bringing for almost _four days_.”

            “We can’t force him to do anything, Prom,” Noct said softly. “You know what happened last time.”

            “I _know_. I’m just…”

            “We’re _all_ worried about him,” Noctis whispered, his voice cracking. “But the best we can do right now is keep making the offer.”

            “And if he keeps refusing his body is gonna give out at some point,” Gladio pointed out. “When it does, we’ll take him to a doctor and they can give him all the nutrients he’s missing with an IV.”

            “Cause he’d be _so happy_ about that big guy.” The blond ran his wet hands through his hair, messing it up and leaving it laying odd. The look would have been funny under any other circumstance, but Ignis couldn’t find it in him to laugh as he stood by the entryway and listened. “You know, when he was out here yesterday he seemed fine. He even cracked a joke. I thought things were gonna start getting better.”

            “Grief isn’t easy Prom, you know that,” the Shield said. “How hard did we push ourselves when we figured out Insomnia had been attacked and our families were gone? That was how we dealt with it. We fought sorrow by _fighting-_ by killing the enemy as some sort of vengeance. We were too angry to stop and settle down. Ravus is too overwhelmed to get up and keep going.”

            “And he needs time to heal before we try to drag him out again,” Noct agreed.

            “I hate feeling so useless,” the gunman yelled, throwing the sponge hard into the sink and splashing soap everywhere. He tensed for a moment then turned and stalked out of the kitchen, bumping hard into Ignis along the way. The younger man only paused for a second before he brushed by and grabbed his jacket. That was still enough time for Ignis to see the tears gathering in his eyes.

            “Prom,” Noctis called, he and Gladio following after their young friend.

            “I’m going for a walk,” was all he said before slamming the door behind him.

***

            He and Noctis were cuddled on the couch in silence for a long time before Ignis found his voice again.

            “Ravus is unwell?” He asked hesitantly.

            “He… he’s not okay, Iggy.” The prince sighed and twisted into a more comfortable position. “He’s been really depressed since we lost the base. I could tell he was angry when we first escaped; he’d fight anything he came across even though he had the disadvantage. He kept going on for weeks about how he’d make Ardyn pay for everything, but then…”

            “But then something changed,” Ignis prompted.

            “We got news saying the Empire had decided to execute a whole bunch of people they’d captured from the war, and… Ezania’s name was on the list. The orders carried the day after we heard about it.”

            Oh… oh no…

            “He kind of just… faded out after that,” Noct continued softly. “He’d stop coming on hunts, or going to preparation meetings. Then he wouldn’t leave the hotel, and after that, he stopped coming out of his room. Now he won’t eat anything and-“ Noct stopped to wipe a few stray tears from his eyes. “Even though things were always kinda tense between us, I’m worried, you know? And I get that he’s sad and angry and hurt. Of all the people here _I get it_. He lost Ezania in the fight and I lost you, but I still don’t know how to reach out to him. And now you’re back, but Ezania isn’t and I feel like that would make anything I had to say pointless, you know?”

            “The Lost Prince’s heart bears heavy with sorrow,” Gentiana’s voice whispered through the room. “The Gods and Messengers weep beside the Oracle to know his life plunges once again to darkness.” The woman appeared in front of the ever-closed door, placing a hand on its wooden surface. “I was to stand by for a great many things,” she said softly. “But this I cannot endure for any longer. Should he choose to listen, I ask you to bear him a message on my behalf.”

            “Why not just knock on the door and tell him yourself,” Gladio griped from the entrance to his and Prompto’s shared room.

            “Now is not the time, and I am not the wisest choice to deliver it. I fear I would not convey it well, cold as I am,” she answered, frost circling patterns into her clothes as the face of Shiva emerged for a brief moment.

            “What do you wish for us to say?” Ignis asked.

            “Tell him, when next he emerges, to watch for the lion, for she still seeks the lamb.”

            “What’s that even _mean_?”

            “He will understand.”

            “Yeah alright, we’ll give him your stupid message,” Gladio said as he threw on a shirt and tied his boots.

            “Where are you off to?” Noct asked, sitting up from his place against Ignis’s chest.

            “Prompto’s been gone for almost two hours,” the brunet stated. “I’m gonna make sure he hasn’t gotten himself into any trouble.”

            “He wanders the city,” Gentiana supplied. “Finding solace through capturing its beauty. If you are set on going to him though, I would suggest you start to the East.”

            “Thanks,” he said monotonously as he slid out into the hall.

            Zara chose that moment to walk out of his room, staring at the High Messenger in shock for a few moments before bowing his head in greeting.

            “You would submit before a Messenger, O Forgotten One?” She asked, her brow quirking above closed eyes.

            “One face I see, yet two I feel pressing under the mask,” the Remnant responded, slipping into the same archaic form of speech. “I bow before a Goddess in respect.” She reached out to touch him, her hand moving through the empty air as he took a step back.

            “You greet me meekly, yet anger boils in your heart,” she observed coolly, letting her fingers fall back to her side.

            “I respect the power of thy Divine right and position, O Goddess of The Frost, but that is all. My soul still knows the pains of your actions.”

            “Actions that were unjust,” she admitted, letting the white form of Shiva overtake more of her. “I cannot bring back that which I have taken, but I can offer that which I have given to no other.”

            “And what’s that?” Zara said, his voice taking an edge of bitterness.

            “The apologies of a Goddess. I was wrong to strike against she who bore you from love, I have learned that now.” This time, when she reached out he let her hand settle on his shoulder before it moved to gently lift his face to meet her eyes. “You are so much like your father,” she observed with a small smile. “That trait alone gives me hope that you will do wonders in this world.”

            “And as for you,” Shiva continued, turning to face the blond half of the pair on the couch. “Make no mistake that he is your teacher, in spite of his current ignorance. Take heed to learn, lest doom befall us all.”

            “I will,” Ignis said somberly, bowing his head.

            And with one final look towards Ravus’s area of isolation, the Glacian disappeared.

***

            “You’re sure this is alright?” Ignis asked again as he emerged from the bathroom in his nightclothes. “I know Zara wouldn’t mind if I took the fold out bed in the other room.”

            “Or you can sleep in here on this bed with me,” Noct said with a laugh. “We shared a bed smaller than this a ton of times on our way to Altissia. What’s the difference? Besides, the fold out doesn’t work, we tried it when we first got here.”

            “Yes, well that was different,” he said, shifting his weight uneasily.

            “Why? Because the beds were smaller and less nice? A bed is a bed Iggy, now get on the body shelf.” He laughed again.

            “It was different because we had not expressed how we felt about each other.”

            “Are you worried I’m going to try and _besmirch and tarnish_ your honor, Ignis?”

            “I’m frankly surprised you even know those words,” the advisor chuckled as his prince threw a pillow at his head.

            “I was trying to imitate you, Mister Massive Vocabulary. Now shut up and get into bed, you idiot,” he smiled. “I’ll be good, I promise.”

            “You’d better be,” Ignis said seriously, still leaning down to press a chaste kiss gently to the other’s temple anyway. “I’m going to get a drink really quick though.”

            The black-haired man gave a hum of acknowledgment as he burrowed himself into the covers. Ignis had no doubts he’d be asleep by the time he got back.

            His own adventure to the kitchen was filled with repeatedly opening cabinets looking for a glass before giving up and trying to pull his coffee mug from the Armiger. The magic once again clicked and fizzled out, leaving his palm empty. Making a mental note to bring it up with Noct in the morning, he gave up on the water.

            He caught something out of the corner of his eye on the way back to the bedroom, a small smile pulling at his lips as he slipped into the bed.

            “What’s got you so smiley?” Noctis teased with a yawn as they adjusted the covers.

            “Nothing to worry about,” Ignis smiled brighter, wrapping an arm around the royal’s middle and settling in for the night.

            He couldn’t help but think that Prompto would be happy too, once he saw the bag he’d brought for Ravus was no longer on the side table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GODSDAMMIT WHY AM I SO MEAN TO MY CHARACTERS *cries forever* I love Ravus- I swear I do. It won't be sad forever, I promise!
> 
> Also, we now have a dilemma that I can't make a decision on: do we want to make some IgNoct sexy time? I mean, they're probs gonna get together at some point, but do we want to SEE that or fade to black? Lemme know.


	28. 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know where this one is going... don't you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried really hard to make this a good awkward/sweet first physical romance scene, and I am FREAKING OUT about it. Enjoy some soft sexy times as think of progressive plot points to get to some reallll steamy stuff later on- because I ship that.

            There was an annoying shaft of light streaming through the window and straight into Ignis’s eyes. He rolled onto his side to escape, shifting to wrap his limbs around the warmth next to him in the bed. It mumbled and nuzzled its way under his chin where it stayed for another twenty minutes before moving away.

            He didn’t open his eyes when Noct started running his fingers through his hair, only giving a contented hum. When soft lips met his own though, he cracked his lids to look at that beautiful pale, dark beauty as he pulled away. The light shone around Noctis’s frame, catching all the subtle contours of his face and highlighting the blue in his eyes and glinting in his smile. He looked… divine.

            “You’re still here,” he said softly, continuing to pet Ignis’s dark blond locks. “I was afraid I’d wake up and it would have been a dream.”

            “If this is a dream,” he answered softly from his place among the pillows. “Then I hope we never wake up.”

            “I love you,” Noctis whispered, fervent and sincere before pressing a kiss to his advisor’s lips once more. “I love you.” A kiss to his forehead, another to the tip of his nose. “I _love_ you.” His lips traveled to Ignis’s cheeks, down along his jaw until his head was buried in the elder’s neck once again. “I love you, and I hope you never leave again.”

            “I love you too,” Ignis smiled, nosing at the edge of Noct’s jaw to bring his lips back for another peck. And another. And another, until Noct’s weight settled half on Ignis and half on the bed. Long, languid kisses passed between them; sweet, simple, and unrushed. They had nowhere to be today, they could lay in bed as long as they wanted.

            Ignis wasn’t going to let that go to waste either. He was used to having to run around with Noctis, there was always somewhere to be, people to talk to, civilians to help. Days like this, where they could catch an extra hour or so in the morning to just rest and relax came few and far between, and who knew when they would get another moment to breathe with the oncoming darkness.

            Tingles ran down his spine when Noct’s tongue flicked out gently against his lips, swiping through his teeth. It left a taste in his mouth that wasn’t entirely unpleasant and seemed so undeniably _Noct_ that he didn’t mind. The raven’s fingers twisted into his hair, a gentle tug shooting thrills through his body to settle in his middle.

            Noct’s knee slid between his legs as he moved to hover over Ignis, their lips clashing more fervently as a steady heat began to build. It was a good heat, one Ignis had never truly let himself experience, knowing it would be subpar if not explored with the one he truly wanted. It made him shiver and his heart pound, his breath shuddering as his hands found purchase gripping at the sides of the younger man’s ribs.

            The prince’s mouth started to roam again, slipping down over his jaw and along his neck. Ignis couldn’t stop the sigh that slipped from his lips when Noct sucked at the edge of his collarbone before trailing kisses back up towards his ear.

            “Ignis,” he breathed lightly, kissing at the hollow there before a light and playful nip had the advisor reflexively bucking up against the thigh between his own with a sharp gasp. He could feel the flush sweeping across his face as he turned his head away in embarrassment.

            Noct pulled back a little before moving in to lap at his skin again.

            “Gods you’re gorgeous when you blush,” he said softly against the shell of Ignis’s ear. He shifted to straddle the blond’s hips fully, one hand tugging at his hair again as he bit the lobe a second time, eliciting the same response. His long, pale fingers played with the end of Ignis’s sleep shirt before cautiously slipping under the hem.  
            “Is this okay?” Noctis asked softly, shyly, from above him, his breath ghosting along Ignis’s fevered skin only serving to fan the flame settling in his gut. “We can stop if you’d like.”

            “It’s just… new,” Ignis mumbled, sliding his eyes back. Gods… Noct’s lips were red and puffy, his eyes held a sheen of what Ignis could only describe as desire, and it made the heat in his stomach swell all the more.

            “I feel well enough to continue,” he said softly, letting his hands slide to grip the prince’s slender hips.

            “So _formal_ ,” the prince teased before leaning over and kissing him breathless. “I want to see you fall apart.”

            “Then kiss me again,” he said, leaning up to capture his blue-eyed angel in another passionate lip-lock.

            Noct’s inexperienced fingers roamed freely inside Ignis’s top, his blunt nails occasionally scraping over his skin to make the advisor writhe beneath him, willingly trapped in a cage of Noctis that he never wanted to leave. Eventually, he pulled Ignis up into a sitting position under him, pulling the garment off entirely and quickly following with the removal of his own.

            He let his hands roam the man he’d been pining after for years, mapping out every curve of each muscle as they kissed. He tried to memorize the way Noct’s skin felt under his own hands, the way his shoulders bled into his chest that curved into his ribs and lead down to a midsection of lean, shallowly defined abdominals until they settled on the strong thighs straddling him.

            At some point they had unconsciously started rocking gently together, Noctis pressing down just as Ignis subtly lifted his hips. The pale beauty fisted his fingers in Ignis’s hair once again, tugging at the roots and stoking the fire in his heart to the point he thought he might burst. The cant of their hips got faster, Noct’s lips pressing harder against his advisor’s flesh as need overtook his patience. With a subtle growl into his mouth, the prince pushed him back down into the bedding, never breaking their kiss.

            It was absolutely exhilarating.

            Sparks of thrilling electricity danced on Ignis’s skin as Noct moved to rest his head in the crook of his neck again, still moving in time while he panted of his retainer’s name against his ear. It was enough to make the blond dig his heels into the mattress and push up against that fleeting friction even harder, throwing his head back into the pillows and exposing his neck for his prince to latch on and suckle.

            His younger self would have never dared dream it would go this far- that it would feel this _good_.

            “ _Ignis_ ,” Noct keened, kissing whatever skin was in reach as he rocked faster over the advisor’s hips. The prince’s hands flailed over his body in an attempt to find purchase in something, _anything_ , one ending up in Ignis’s hair again and the other clawing at his bicep as Noctis shuddered into his throat with a heady, broken sigh of pleasure.

            That noise was the breaking point.

            The electric tension that ran through his bloodstream crackled and broke, washing over him with a quiet moan as his limbs twitched with the release. It was good. It was so, _so good_. And it was because of Noctis, so that made it even better. It tingled in his fingers and made his toes curl before a pleasant empty bliss settled all over.

            For a while afterward they simply laid there, Noct straddling him and curled against his chest as they quietly panted in the aftermath. His prince started tracing patterns on Ignis’s bare chest, the little stars and squiggles occasionally dragging over a nipple and sending a small pleasant aftershock through his system.

            “Was it okay?” Noct asked shyly as he rolled to the side and sat up, his hair falling into his face and concealing his eyes.

            “It was perfect,” Ignis whispered, leaning to rub their noses together. “I do think we’ll need to take a shower and do some laundry though.”

            “Yeah,” he answered, pulling a face as he brushed his bangs out of the way and cast a pointed look at their sleep pants, “I can feel it getting sticky.”

            “Let’s get cleaned up then,” the blond smiled, getting out of bed and pulling the royal along to the attached bathroom. “I’ll help you wash off.”

***

            Surprisingly, there were no lusty behaviors in the shower. It was sweet and simple, domestic even, as they took turns washing each other’s hair and limbs under the water before drying off and getting dressed.

            Noct leaned up to gift him another kiss before they opened the door and went out into the shared space of the hotel suite. They’d been woken early by the sun and… subsequent activities, so they emerged to the rest of the group just getting up. A quick peek into the kitchen revealed that Cindy was making breakfast with Prompto and, even more surprisingly, Ravus.

            It was obvious that the Tenebraen’s health had been suffering. Dark baggy circles rested under his eyes, and his already pronounced cheekbones were even more hollow than before. His silvery hair usually swept artfully away from his face now lay limp and lifeless. Ignis would like to think it was just the early hour, but something about the way the First Son of Tenebrae was holding himself told him it was more reoccurring than that.

            He felt a tiny worm of guilt thread its way through him when Ravus looked over with a thinly veiled pain in his eyes. The platinum-haired man muttered something to his cooking companions before plucking a biscuit off of a pan on the stove and brushing by with a stale greeting of “Good morning, Noctis,” followed by a brief pause and a strained “Scientia,” before slipping back into his room.

            “Whatcha making Prom, Cin?” Gladio asked, slipping into the room after Ravus’s departure. “Something edible this time?”

            “Biscuits and gravy,” Cindy smiled with a hand on her hip. “And I daresay he’s got it right this time.”

            “You’ve taken to cooking?” Ignis asked, surprised. “I never thought you held much interest in the culinary arts.”

            “I’ve been trying to pick stuff up since after…” he broke off, stirring the white gravy aimlessly. “I tried to learn after you left,” he finally said.

            “He’s improved a lot, too. Almost half his stuff is actually edible,” Noct teased, lightening the mood considerably.

            “Now that you’re back to give him pointers, he’ll be just dandy with a little practice,” Cindy chuckled.

            “Alright, alright, that’s enough,” Gladio said, trapping both Noct and Prompto in a headlock with a grin. “I’m starving. Let’s eat!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehehe. IgNoct is such an adorable ship and I actually really liked writing this chapter. 
> 
> Was it cheesy? You'd tell me if it was cheesy right?


	29. 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A heart without its pair has little to turn to for the way of comfort. But what woe does man carry that the touch of magic cannot ease?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to write FIVE CHAPTERS for the fluffy side fic before I felt up to facing this angsty beast again. Good thing its gonna be soft here for a little while.

            Noctis and the others insisted after breakfast that Ignis and Zara take a day to rest and catch up with what was happening, leaving a pile of documents for the advisor to look over while they went out to join with Commodore Highwind and assist the civilians in preparations. To think, Noctis had willingly started taking his own notes and filing and arranging meetings. The world truly was coming to an end.

            Tonight though, Noctis had promised, would be free and easy as the people of Lestallum gathered together to celebrate the last Festival of Ifrit before they lost the sun for who knew how long. The red and gold banners strung between structures could be seen from any window and it gave him a little peace. These people needed a chance to take a break and focus on something other than the essential death of the star they called home.

            And speaking of breaks, he could use one. The pages filled with Noct’s handwriting were starting to swim in front of his eyes, making him dizzy as he set them down on the coffee table and went to get a drink of water before checking in with his companion. What he wouldn’t do for an ebony at the moment.

            Zara had been content to stay in his room for the majority of the morning. When Ignis peeked in to see if anything interesting had come up, the man was sitting on the bed with the door open and reading his books as usual. A larger one was resting open, propped up against a pillow. Ignis was pretty sure it was the same one he’d been working through for the last few days as he focused on re-learning defense before diving into his history. As Ignis watched silently from the doorway, he started making shapes with his hands and looking down at the pages of the book every few gestures. So, still practicing old magic then.

            His stomach suddenly growled, giving him away to the room’s current occupant who flashed him a grin.

            “It’s about lunch,” Ignis said, brushing off the noise. “I’ll make something. Are you hungry?”

            “No, but evidently you are,” Zara chuckled, turning back to his studies. “Thank you for the offer though.”

            There was, he saw on his way back to the kitchen, a door off to the side of the suite that Ignis hadn’t noticed before. The small opening was set a bit back into the wall, and the heavy winter jackets the group was no longer using had been hung on the rack right next to it, partially blocking it from view. Stopping to look, he could see the outline of a man shining faintly through the sheer curtain covering the glass window on its top half.

            He quickly went through the kitchen, throwing a few small tasty sandwiches together before setting them on two plates with some other odds and ends lying around and going back. A slight turn of the head was all Ravus did to indicate he heard the other man come out onto the balcony.

            “Mind if I join you?” Ignis asked politely.

            “Misery loves company,” Ravus sighed, kicking them each out a chair from the table before sitting. This close and still, Ignis could see all the traces that his companion’s feelings were wearing on him. His hair was lifeless and dull probably needing to be washed, small smudges of dust and dirt gathered here and there on his skin and clothes, tired circles hung deeper than he would have ever thought possible and stubble ran freely along his jaw. The man was a wreck.

            “If you rather I leave,” Ignis started, setting one of the plates down on the frosted glass but not lowering himself into the chair just yet.

            “I’d rather a lot of things,” the other interrupted with a slight snarl. “But if I was to wish you to leave I would have said so.”

            “Are you angry with me?” Ignis asked after a few moments, hesitantly joining him.

            “Tis not _your_ fault that I suffer. You were the only one who tried to stop this madness in the first place,” Ravus sighed, running his hand through his hair and ignoring the food. “I cannot say that I don’t find a glaring unfairness in the situation either.”

            “I would agree with you,” he nodded softly, picking up a baby carrot from his own plate. A baby _carrot._ Who was shopping for them while he was gone? It certainly wasn’t Noct. The Tenebraen gave him a look, the slight frown on his lips seemingly a new permanent addition. “That isn’t to say that I’m not overjoyed to be given a second chance to help Noctis fulfill his destiny, I am. But that doesn’t change the fact that Ezania had the workforce and the dedication to be more useful than I, yet she was not the one brought back.”

            “No,” the older man said flatly. “She has been taken by the empire and executed while the Gods played favorites and exchanged something of worth to the Lucian king. But what else is new?”

            He pushed his chair out with a slight screech, leaving his food untouched as he walked back inside and slammed the door hard enough to rattle the glass. Ignis stared after him for a few minutes. Yes… he probably could have handled that with a bit more tact apparently. He gathered up their dishes and moved back inside to see Ravus’s room once again closed with a fiery feeling of “don’t bother me”.

            The just as suddenly as he left before, his bedroom entrance swung open and he stormed back out to sit on the couch.

            “Forgive me,” he huffed as he settled, accepting the plate Ignis offered again. “My ire is not directed at you. As I’ve said, this isn’t your fault and I should not act like it is. You have done nothing to wrong me.”

            “And yet you’re still upset,” the advisor said.

            “Would you not be, if our positions were reversed? I am not so cruel as to not still consider you a friend, Ignis, but looking at you is a painful reminder of the things I have lost. That agony doubles to see you and Noctis so… ugh.” He angrily swiped up and started munching on a carrot of his own.

            “Gentiana stopped by yesterday,” Ignis said, steering the conversation in a different direction. “She was worried about you, and asked us to give you a message.”

            “She’s a liar and a menace. If she came here it was for her own design, not out of sympathy or pity.”

            “Do you truly think that?”

            “She lied directly to my face for twenty-eight years, Ignis,” he said, temper rising again. “She was strong enough to interfere when the empire came to Tenebrae, but decided to sit back and let our people, to let Lunafreya and I _suffer_ because she could not be bothered to show her hand as a goddess.”

            “She is a strange and unpredictable one,” a third voice joined, Zara sliding out of the kitchen to join them holding a glass jar. “Forgive the intrusion, but I had hoped to help.”

            “Who are you?” Ravus asked, standing and taking up a stance. Ignis had forgotten that they’d never met face to face before.

            “I am He who bid you Come and See,” the redhead stated with a little bow, careful not to spill any of the water inside. “And you, sir, are lost.”

            What little color remained in Ravus face quickly washed out as he took in the other man.

            “ _You_ are the Remnant?” he asked at last.

            “I am,” Zara smiled reassuringly, placing the bottle on the table. “Would you like my help? I think you’ll find it is much less agonizing when we are on the same plane of existence.”

            “What will you do?” Ravus asked, his eyes narrowing.

            “I will do nothing save set the stage. What happens next is all up to you after that. If you have any doubts then ask Ignis, he knows firsthand that I will not interfere unless you need it.”

            The advisor jumped a little at the mention of his name, unsure of where Zara was going with this until he caught a glimpse of the unassuming mason jar’s contents. A familiar shimmering blue danced in the water, laced with amber streaks of Zara’s magic.

            “It’s a bit small for a pool, don’t you think?” Ignis said dryly with a smile.

            “Oh hush,” Zara said, flicking the side of the blond’s head before screwing the lid on. “It should work just fine for what he needs. Not everyone requires a massive pond for working through their mentalities.”

            “So I was special?” he mocked, hoping to lighten the mood.

            “Especially dense maybe,” Zara teased back. “Almost a decade’s worth of repressed energy got worked out under that mountain and you better not get that bad again, because I am _not_ making you another one.”

            “How does this work?” Ravus asked, some of the tension bleeding off.

            “Just look into the water,” Zara said simply. “And enter into reflection. If you wish for privacy you can do it in your room.”

            “Don’t you need to lead him in?” Ignis asked.

            “No,” the redhead answered, shooting him a smirk as he reached over to hand Ravus the jar. “You were just so caught up in yourself you had to be tricked into thinking about it. He should have no difficulties accessing the magic on his own.”

            There was a little sting in his pride at that revelation, but he brushed it aside. What he’d done was done, and there was no use in fretting over it now. With a nod of thanks, the former High Commander took the jar into his room and softly closed the door.

            Ignis would have to report to Prompto that he’d taken the sandwich as well.

***

            Ravus didn’t come out for several hours, leaving Ignis and Zara in the main hub of the suite until evening. Ignis finished reading the papers Noct had left for him while Zara laid on the floor casting little whirls of magic through the air.

            “You seem antsy,” Ignis noted, setting one file down to flick through another. “What’s on your mind?”

            “Its just something stuck in my mind from what I read when I switched books earlier. I’m not sure what to make of it is all.”

            “So you finished the other one?”

            “Defense and attack spells have been successfully reintroduced, as well as healing. I’m having a slight bit of trouble getting into the Nexus, but I suppose that is something that merely needs practice.”

            “Nexus?” he asked over the lip of the folder in his hands, interested.

            “My equivalent of the thing you share with Noctis. An Omanger… arnagar…”

            “Armiger,” Ignis supplied. “Which I got… distracted from and forgot to bring up with him this morning.”

            “They should be back soon, shouldn’t they?”

            “Hopefully, Prompto will be beyond disappointed if he’s late to see the festivities with Miss Aurum.”

            “That’s the blonde one he fawns over, yes?”

            “Hey, it is _not_ fawning!” Prompto said, catching the tail end of the conversation while he set his bag down. The others soon followed through the door. “Cindy is a respectable young lady who I happen to admire.”

            “Admire, right,” Noct ribbed, striding in to put a kiss on Ignis’s lips. “How were things here?”

            “I’ve read most of your reports and Zara has made excellent headway in reclaiming his magic.”

            “And Ravus is back,” the redhead said from the floor, sitting up as the sound of running water filtered through from the forbidden bedroom.

            “He left?” Gladio questioned, quirking a brow.

            “Not physically, for the Wanderer Prince is only just emerging,” Zara hummed, popping to his feet and walking back into his own enclosure without bothering to offer any further explanation.

            “Do you guys notice when he does that?” Prompto asked, following him with his eyes.

            “Does what?” Noct hummed, flopping down next to his lover.

            “Goes from talking like a normal guy to some old spooky… vagabond wizard or something.”

            “He’s got thrown into a world that’s two thousand years ahead of him. Linguistic drift is probably something he’s still adjusting to,” Gladio said. “Imagine having to re-learn an entire language just to accurately communicate with a civilization that doesn’t remember you even existed.”

            “Either way guys there’s a crowd starting up by the carpark. Let’s get ready to hit the ground and party!” Prompto threw his fists in the air as he looked out the window, strapping his camera around his neck before swinging into Zara’s space to ask if he was coming.

            “You’re headed out into the festival?” Asked a voice coming from the black of Ravus’s room a while later as they prepared to leave. The first son of Tenebrae stepped out into the light, a fresh dark shirt hugging his newly cleaned and shaven form and his glossy hair swept back into its normal style. “Would you mind an extra companion?”

            There was a bit of stunned silence as the group took in the total reversal of what they’d become used to.

            “You are always welcomed with us,” Ignis smiled, remembering his manners with he and Zara moving to stand on either side of the fair-haired man as the group wound its way out into the streets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Makers breath, this was only supposed to be half a chapter, but HERE WE ARE.
> 
> See you next time in the fluffy chronicle of the Ifrit Festival!


	30. 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Festival of Ifrit is fricken lit. Pun intended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who may care, I wrote this chapter whilst listening to this ambient soundtrack:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVAlriiVjC8&t=200s
> 
> Enjoy it with noise, if you so desire:)

            Lines of braziers and torches littered the edges of the streets, casting the warm glow of firelight throughout the city. The people were congregating at the steps near the car park that had been emptied out for the night. A massive pile of wood was set up on a pitted stone dais, which would later be lit as the festivities came to a close for the night. Civilians flittered down one sloped side to place something flammable in with the fuel, paying their respects to the Astral of fire before exiting back into the city on the other side.

            “The celebrations of Ifrit were never so widespread in Tenebrae,” Ravus observed as they made their way towards the unlit pyre, obviously nervous to be out among the crowd again. “Many would not celebrate him so freely after the Astral War. We would simply give an offering in the privacy of the home as opposed to frolicking in the streets.”

            “I think it’s also so big this year because the threat of no light at all is becoming a reality pretty quick,” Gladio huffed.

            “It soothes my heart to see this though,” Zara smiled beside them. “The Ifrit festivals in my day lasted weeks at a time. It was always the most exciting season at the temple, and the priests would let me entertain the masses. Maybe I’ll find a spot to do something here as well.”

            “You lived in a temple?” Prompto asked.

            “I was raised by the Priests of Ifrit,” the redhead said proudly, twirling his cloak into a small bundle in his arms. “It was a great honor, and I learned a great deal if my broken memories are to be believed.”

            “Wasn’t your mother a priestess of Shiva though?” Ignis asked.

            “Yes, but given certain… _circumstances_ she felt I would be better received by the temple of fire.”

            “Well I suppose we won’t have to speculate the details much longer,” Ignis said lightheartedly, squeezing Noct’s fingers as they walked at the head of the group. “You moved onto your history books earlier today, didn’t you?”

            “Uh, yes,” Zara replied, shifting on the other side of Ravus nervously. “It has been most enlightening.”

            “This thing’s even bigger up close!” Prompto exclaimed, shouldering his way through to gape at what would become the main bonfire.

            “It will be sure to be seen for miles, once lit,” Ignis agreed.

            “Let’s get a shot in front of it real quick!”

            They all dutifully posed around of the dry timber before they each placed something in the gaps. Ignis could see small scraps of colorful fabrics and pieces of paper with small children’s drawings on them mixed into the horde of offerings as he tossed in a bright and shiny swath of silk he’d purchased in Altissia before the rite, standing back to let the others make their offerings as well.

            Prompto hesitated a moment before taking off the thick black wristband he always wore and throwing it onto one of the tallest logs, smirking when it snagged on a small protrusion. Noct placed one of his older pairs of gloves into the mix and Gladio followed with a copy of a photograph of his family. Ravus stepped up, pulling a small stack of tiny notecards from his pocket and looking at them sadly before scattering them in the mass. Zara came after him, taking the small finely woven gold rope from his robe and settling it in against the base of the wooden tower.

            Respects paid, they waddled with the crowd back up towards the heart of the city. Stall vendors were set up selling wares to commemorate the event, hawking joyfully to the patrons who wandered between the fires strategically placed every few feet. Noct was quick to grab his hand again and pull him along, hopping from stall to stall as the others wandered towards whatever caught their interest.

            They found a stall selling Ifrit styled arts and purchased a little Cactuar figurine that was painted in fire tones for Talcott, the vendor happily agreeing to make a set themed after all the Astrals for them to give to the young boy. Prompto eventually came along and insisted they follow him back down the street to see what a fairly large group was collecting to watch.

            Zara was standing on the top of one of the town’s short stone pillars with a torch in one hand and a bottle of clear liquid in the other, sternly telling the little children that they were not to try and copy him when they got home. Then he took a swig and started a fire breather act, drawing oo’s and ah’s from the crowd for several minutes.

            “Do you want to see more?” he called over the crowd, the little children cheering for him to go on. Even the adults clapped for a chance to see what else the ancient had hidden up his sleeve. “I’ll need a volunteer,” he yelled, quickly selecting a child from the front and ushering her up close to the stout rock stand. He knelt down and had the small girl climb up onto his impromptu stage. “Now, darling, what is your name? Celene? What a fine name! Now, Celene, I’m going to need your help,” he said, continuing to talk as he led the child through a series of steps to the amusement of the crowd. When they reached the end Zara made an elaborate gesture with his hands leading up to… nothing.

            All the little children giggled as he looked dumbfounded at his hands, flipping them back and forth and turning in a circle as though looking for where his trick had gone.

            “Gah,” he said, comically hitting himself upside the head. “We forgot the most important part, Celene! Fire needs air to breathe! Would you do the honors?” He held out his hands, smiling as the little girl sucked in a deep breath and blew hard across his fingers, their audience gasping as flames started to lick across his knuckles and up his arms.

            “Wonderfully done Celene! Now then,” he called, allowing the child to go back to her parents as he continued.

            “Where did you find this guy, Iggy,” Prompto laughed, entranced with all the others. “Do you think he’d teach me how to do that?”

            “You gotta keep in mind he has actual magic too, Prom,” Noctis reminded him. “Not all of that is sleight of hand and regular skill.”

            “Still,” the blond laughed, raising his lens to take several shots as Zara threw fire into various shapes.

            They watched for several more minutes before the redhead did one more trick and bid the crowd to enjoy the rest of the festival before hopping down, grabbing his bag and cloak, and making his way over to them.

            “Enjoying the evening, gentlemen?” he asked, slightly out of breath.

            “Not as much as you, apparently,” Noctis laughed. “Those kids are going to be talking about you for forever.”

            “Fire dancing has always come naturally to me. It was my specialty when the temple would hold celebrations,” he beamed. “It’s nice to have a chance to do it again for people so in need of mirth.”

            “Mister, mister!” called a gaggle of children as they ran up to the ginger, their parents quickly trailing behind. “Can we take a picture with you? Pleaaaaase?!”

            With his permission, the kids huddled around his legs while their adult companions took a few photos with their cameras, yelling thanks as the little ones ran off to the next thing that excited them.

            Zara and Noct quickly got swept up in a conversation about possibly training Prompto to try casting, making the youngest grin from ear to ear. Ignis let his eyes wander, taking in the smiles and laughter from the groups shuffling in the streets. Gladio was over by a food stall flirting with a few Exineris girls, and he could see Cindy and Holly up the lane a ways laughing as they handed out small trinkets to little children as they passed by.

            What really drew his eyes though was a single man leaning up against the short wall overlooking the car park alone. Ignis softly excused himself from Noct’s hold and made his way over to him.

            “Did you need a break from the festivities?” Ignis asked as he approached Ravus, the man flashing him a weak smile.

            “I was expecting it to be more subdued, like at home in Tenebrae. This is far more than I had prepared myself for,” he answered, turning to look over the view.

            “I think we were all rather surprised when you decided to come out and join us in the first place. From what the others have told me, such behavior has become a rare occurrence for you.”

            “I have been… overcome, since the news of the empire’s actions reached us,” the older man sighed heavily, turning a women’s simple gold ring over in his fingers. “In truth I still am.”

            “But you came out anyway?”

            “I cannot lock myself away forever.” He paused before shifting his position and looking at Ignis. “You said Gentiana had left a message for me. What was it?”

            “She wanted me to tell you to look for the lion because the lion was looking for a lamb. She assured us you would understand what it meant.”

            A sad smile pulled at his features. “I believe I do.” Another soft sigh. “Ezania would not have wanted me to lose to this. I have taken my time to mourn, and I continue to. But I need to get back to the field and help where I can as well, and this is a start. I may not be able to end this pain, but if I can save even one other person from having to endure it, then that shall be enough.”

            “That’s very brave,” Ignis commended.

            “It is what she would have wanted,” Ravus said, tucking the gold band into his pocket as the rest of the group walked over, Cindy, Holly, and Aranea having joined them.

            “It’s good to see you out and about, Commander,” the Commodore said, playfully punching his amputated shoulder.

            “I am no longer a commander, Highwind.”

            “Yeah whatever you say… Commander.”

            Ravus rolled his eyes but smirked all the same. A group of minstrels wandered past with guitars and violins, a few of them carrying flutes and small drums as they set up in the little alcove nearby. Cindy grabbed Prompto by the arm and drug him into the road where a small dance circle was forming as the musicians began to play, Holly quickly following suit with Gladio.

            “Wanna dance Specs?” Noct asked, plucking at his sleeve as they walked to join the others dancing in the street. Zara gathered them together, showing them an easy Sol dance the priests used to do before leaving them to whirl together as he, Aranea, and Ravus sat on the wall and watched.

            They danced through a few more songs before someone suggested they sit down and rest at one of the picnic styled venues at the top of the steps. Zara was pulled aside before they got there by a spectator from his brief entertainment earlier, telling them he would catch up later. It wasn’t too much longer after they settled down with their food that a cheer went through the city as the large offering pyre was lit. The people danced and sang cosmogony songs a while more before people started leaving the city center and wandering back to their homes, the hour growing too late to stay out any longer.

            They were all smiling over their cups of festive drinks and laughing as Prompto and Cindy regaled them with a story when Aranea’s phone buzzed.

            “Holy shit,” she sputtered over her cider, coughing slightly as she read whatever message she’d received.

            “What is it?” Ravus asked seriously. “What’s wrong.”

            “Biggs and Wedge,” she choked. “They saw the Chancellor’s ship up to the northwest.”

            “He’s here in Lucis?” Prompto shrilled.

            “Then it looks like its time to go,” Noct said, rising. “We’ll get Zara and head back to the hotel to get whatever we need to track him down.”

            The streets were practically empty now, the majority of the festival goers either in their beds or migrated to another event happening outside the Exineris gates.

            The group made way down the street, Aranea splitting off to meet her men and tail the Accursed’s ship to wherever it was headed. Zara wasn’t by the stand they’d left him at, or anywhere on the main street.

            “Maybe he went back to the room?” Prompto suggested.

            “No,” Ravus contradicted. “He said something earlier about a ritual the old priests used to do after the festival came to an end when they’d commune with Ifrit.” He took point and led them down to the carpark again. “There he is,” the Tenebraen said softly, pointing down to the sunken levels where the redhead stood in front of the flaming tower. They stepped closer the words the ancient chanted carrying softly on the gentle breeze as he took a knife and cut off one of his long braids, tossing it into the fire.

            “O Ifrit, Father of The Flame, hear my prayer,” Zara said softy afterward, kneeling gracefully before the pyre. “May the light with which thou blessed the star of Eos be carried in the hearts of her people, even as darkness looms on the horizon. May your King of Kings stand tall in wake of shadow.” Noctis shifted beside him. “And let his brotherhood of men draw strength from the passions thou hast seen fit to grace them with.” Prompto nudged the Shield at that, giving a small smile. “May it be that sorrow will not break the heart of the Wanderer Prince,” Zara continued, eliciting a small gasp from the platinum-haired man beside Ignis. “That he too may overcome pain and become a joyous King of his own right.” The redhead paused for a moment, seeming almost like he wasn’t going to continue. “And please, I pray you O Father, help me find the strength to tell them the truth,” he sighed, his shoulders sagging as he dropped his head low to the ground.

            “Tell us the truth about what?” Gladio called down, the redhead whipping around to stare at the group harboring the unexpected angry shout.

            The truth about what indeed…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!! 
> 
> What does Zara have to say hmmmm? What do you think it is? Lemme know down in the comments and tune in next time to see how close you were! <3


	31. 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth isn't always an easy thing to handle...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehehehehe.... I've had this chapter's ending written out since the beginning of May and I finally get to share!!! 
> 
> *nervously presses publish* 
> 
> Enjoy~

            “You’ve been keeping something from us?” Noct said, tensing.

            “I did not mean to mislead you,” Zara said, quickly getting to his feet and holding his hand out in a gesture of surrender. “I’ve only unveiled the knowledge myself this morning and I was unsure of how to present it.”

            “Well you got your wish,” Gladio said, his hand flexing like he was about to draw his sword. “Now spill.”

            “Playtime is going to have to wait, boys,” Aranea said, running down the street to meet them. “The Chancellor dropped ship at the Vesperpool and he’s not wasting any time.” Her red drop ship came into view, lowering quickly to the ground. “We don’t have the luxury to stand around talking, let's go!”

            She all but drug them into her ship’s bay, quickly closing the door and taking off at a speeding pace towards the large lake.

            “How long until you get here, boss?” Biggs’s voice crackled over a speaker. “We aren’t gonna be able to tail him once he sets off again.”

            “I’m moving as fast as I can,” she answered into her transmitter. “We’re coming up on the old blockade now.”

            “Give ‘er all she’s got, boss, or you aren’t going to make it in time.”

            Zara pushed his way through the middle of the bay in into the cockpit with the woman, Ignis trailing cautiously after him.

            “Where are we going?” He asked.

            “The Vesperpool,” she answered dryly. “Pay attention.”

            “Can we see it from here?”

            “It’ll be coming into view soon.”

            He huddled over her control panel, his gaze sweeping the area in from of him until the large lake appeared in the valley. He sucked in a breath, Ignis noticing a flash of despair crossing the man’s features as the purple and black miasma of demons flittered like a cloud over the lake’s silvery surface.

            “Land on the rock face over there,” he ordered, pointing to a large stone structure protruding from the ground with a wide flat top.

            “We won’t be able to get down from there and its too far away,” Aranea said hotly.

            “Leave the details to me,” Zara said, pushing away and headed back to the main space. “Do any of you beside Noctis know how to warp?” The group shook their heads collectively. “Then I’ll cast,” the redhead mused as the ship settled on the stone and opened up into the inky night.

            Amber light danced on his fingertips as Zara traced old runes in the air, leaving them to burn with the sharp tang of ozone until he drew a circle with his hand and the air shuddered. The space within his markings shivered and changed, bleeding through to reveal the edge of the lake.

            “Hurry through, and be quiet on the other side,” he murmured to them, summoning the copy of Ignis’s daggers and pressing them into his hands before providing Ravus with a sword as well. “This is as close as I dare go to the Accursed with the Vespara at his disposal.”

            "Don't think this gets you off the hook for questioning later," Gladio said, rolling his shoulder as he watched the magic take shape.

            There was an itch under Ignis’s skin as he led the group through. There was a twinge of unease now, his trust in the man somewhat shaken by the mystery secret he’d not yet shared as they’d headed for their enemy’s location. But this was Ardyn they were going to find, and that had to be their main priority now. It would seem the others felt the same as they exited the faintly pulsing portal and huddled with him behind a small rock outcropping shrouded in reeds.

            Zara came up beside them, the gateway softly humming away into nothing as they crouched and looked over the edge.

            “There he is,” Gladio whispered, pointing to where the Immortal Accursed was sashaying through the grasses and shallow water, looking for something.

            “It’s him,” Zara gasped shakily. Ignis looked over to see fear cross his features.

            “You know Ardyn?” Prompto asked quietly, a frown creasing his face.

            “He’s the villain who orchestrated my confinement,” Zara hissed, anger coiling tension in his body. “He had my mother murdered and locked me somewhere out of the way. I would recognize him anywhere, no matter how much time has passed since he last came to torment me.”

            “Then let’s get some payback for all of us,” Gladio huffed, moving to slink through the reeds.

            “Wait,” Zara whispered, pulling him back and pushing him down. “There’s someone else over there.”

            Ignis scanned the space again, and sure enough, there was a second person sitting still on one of the crumbling stone protrusions, almost like they were in a trance. A dark cloak was wrapped around them, hiding most of their features, but they didn’t seem to be restrained.

            Ardyn turned and called to the other with a dramatic wave, his words jumbled into nonsense by the time they reached the hidden group.

            “He’s using magic,” Ravus said, pointing out the purple haze dancing around the Chancellor’s hands. “Whoever that is, they’re being compelled to follow.”

            The person in question stood and slowly stalked towards the Accursed, moving in a way that reminded Ignis of the zombie movies Noct used to watch in high school. Slow. Methodical. Unthinking.

            What was Ardyn up to?

            His victim sloshed into the knee-high water where Ardyn waited, a trio of stone outcroppings beside him. He walked around the other like an appraiser of wealth before another gesture had purple markings burning in the rocks.

            “Oh no,” Zara breathed, urgency in his voice. “Those are unity markings. He’s trying to bind them with a spirit to make a demon! Go! _Go!_ ”

            Noct warped ahead while the others vaulted the rock, running in a desperate attempt to reach the pair before he could finish the spell. A red giant appeared as they approached, Zara stopping to fight while the rest continued on.

            Ignis could feel dread claw its way into his heart as Ardyn cast them a glance before kicking his captive in the chest, throwing them brutally under the water where he held them down under his boot. The magic around them burned even brighter, demons materializing and howling into the night as their master flooded the area with miasma and the essence of evil.

            Another strong warp had Noct locking blades with the Accursed, the mystery person slowly getting up onto their hands and knees from the water, still wrapped in the heavy fabric.

            Ardyn snarled, throwing Noct off and back to the edge of the lake.

            “I do believe it’s time to go,” he said, the calm of his voice contradicting the fury burning in his eyes. “Come along now dear.” Monsters were starting to surge over the hills, moving in to attack at their alpha demon’s command.

            The captive didn’t move, kneeling still as the stones around them as they shook. Ardyn made a disgusted noise, flinging Noct off once again and dodging a blow from Gladio as he grabbed them by the arm and pulled them upright and back into the crowd of demons waiting to strike, shock coursing through the group as the shroud fell away.

            Grey glazed and unfocused eyes stared out from under messy blonde fringe into the night as Ardyn pressed her up against his chest. She shivered, her mouth slack as purple tendrils wrapped around her limbs, her head lolling listlessly against the man’s shoulder.

            “Ezania!” Ravus yelled, throwing his blade through another hobgoblin.

            His voice seemed to break something, her eyes going sharp as she began to struggle against her restraints, earning an angered hiss from her abductor.

            “You just don’t know when to quit, do you boy?” The Accursed called over the din of the fight, more demons moving to block the way to Noct’s rival.

            A flash of light had Zara shimmering into the bulk of the fight with magic dancing on his fingers. Ignis felt himself go cold as the two shared a knowing look before Ardyn drug Ezania into the shadows, disappearing from view, the monsters of the night writhing in his absence before another flash from Zara sent them running.

            “We have to go after them,” Ravus demanded, moving to make chase.

            “They’ve already gone,” Zara said seriously, grabbing him by the arm. “You won’t be able to catch up unless he wants you to.”

            “Why the hell didn’t you try to stop him then?” Gladio yelled.

            “I’m not strong enough to fight him and win, and neither are you. That’s the heart of all our predicaments,” the redhead countered calmly before stepping away to examine the charred markings on the stones. “Besides,” he continued. “What’s happened tonight will have changed everything.”

            “What are you talking about?” Ignis asked, feeling that heavy weight return to his mind.

            “There is no easy way to say this,” the redhead started nervously, pulling one of his books out from its bag. “But Ardyn is stronger than we thought. He locked me away in the nether, and I do not think I willingly surrendered all of the memories these tomes hold while I was there. He twisted the wills of Divinity for his own purpose, and he’s done so again. I just hope we interfered in time to salvage this.”

            “Enough with your cryptic speech,” Ravus said, irritated. “No more lies, no more secrets. If you want our trust you will earn it. Who and _what_ are you?”

            Zara opened the pale cover of the book and thumbed through the pages, breathing shakily as he settled on an entry and began to read.

            “I was born to protect our star in places where the Gods could not reach, in that darkness where even Divinity cannot stretch out its hand to shape the world,” he read, the white book trembling in his fingers. “For truth, there are such places in the shadows of this realm. And so, the Pyreburner took matters into his own hands against the will of the other Gods, creating a union of his Divinity and a mortal vessel. Thus I was created, sparking the first divide within the Astral ranks.”

            “You mean to tell me that for all this time, you were conveniently keeping the fact that Ifrit is your _father_ a secret?” Ignis could feel his nails cutting into his hands without his gloves, but it was beyond him to find a semblance of calm.

            “This secret bears power, Ignis. Even I was made to forget for eons until I went and forcibly removed the truth from a sea of lost memories. To have told you before would have required distracting you from the task at hand and only exposed both of us to the wrath of the Accursed. Not to mention I needed time to fully come to grips with what this means. Now that he knows I’ve broken free, the Accursed will not allow us rest. He will rage against the Gods and all their creations until the world falls to ruin.”

            “We already knew that!” The advisor hissed.

            “But you do not know the true reasons as to _why_. He has every right to scorn the Gods, and me as their favored child,” he muttered as he turned away.

            “So Ifrit had a kid with a human chick, how does make you part of this?” Prompto asked, putting his head in his hands as he tried to make sense of everything that was happening.

            “Because,” he bit out, turning to pierce them with his red stare once again. “The woman who bore me from the fire of Ifrit was Ardyn’s most beloved sister, _Ezania_ , the youngest of the original Lucian line after Somnus and a priestess of Shiva.”

            “Alright, back up,” sighed Gladio. “You’re telling me that the woman who risked life and limb to oppose the Empire and keep us safe, is, in fact, working with the enemy? We saw her! She was fighting him!”

            “You’re lying,” Ravus hissed, and Ignis could see the angry tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. “She couldn’t- she would never…”

            “She was not his ally when you met her. Ezania first died shortly before the Astral War, killed by the Glacian in a fit of jealous rage, only to be reborn here amid the rebellion. These runes are a binding spell specifically meant for tying together two factions of the same soul. Now that Ardyn has bound her to her spirit’s true origins, I do not doubt that she will remember the pain and rage of her soul again. Only this time she has her brother to twist it to his use. If left unchecked, those two will ruin the world for good, and not even Divinity will be able to stop them. The Scourge alone was bad enough, but not even the King of Light can stand against it _and_ the Plagues of Chaos alone.”

            “Chaos,” Ignis breathed, recalling the triangle of stones in the ancient’s rune casting for him so long ago. “The Accursed, The God’s Remnant, and The Plagues of Chaos…”

            “The Mortalis Trinity,” Zara confirmed gesturing to the book again. “Or rather, what’s become of it. Three semi-mortals who were born from the Lucis Caelum line to carry on after the Gods left this world. Greater than even the High Messengers, we were meant to make sure our star continued the course planned for it, but corruption set in. Ardyn’s healing became sickness, Ezania’s order became chaos, and I...” He paused, grief crossing his features for a moment as he looked back to the tome in his hands. “Ardyn saw our true history erased so no soul who came after the Astrals’ war would be able to know about us, so no one would be able to stop him. He even locked me away in that place when I was hardly more than a young man of my own right. He _wanted_ me to forget, to thirst for the knowledge he hid in plain sight. And so he made me forget, he _ripped_ the truth from my mind so I would trade what was left of myself away piece by piece over several thousand years until he could strike and I would no longer remember I was his prisoner. I’ve been searching for a way to escape for so long… I never realized I’d been playing right into his plans.”

            “So…” Prompto interjected hesitantly. “If Ezania, or past Ezania or whatever, is your mom, and she’s Ardyn’s sister, then…”

            “That would make the selfish bastard my uncle,” Zara growled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pinknoonycorn you were RIGHT about Zara's hair!!!! ON BOTH ACCOUNTS!! Only we now have two extra lost relatives instead of one, but meh.
> 
> Come chat with me yall, it'll be a party.


	32. 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ploty plot-ness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you miss me? I missed you!

            “What do we do now?” Prompto asked. “If he’s done some weird hocus pocus on Ezania, does that change what we need to plan for?”

            “We won’t know until morning,” Zara sighed. “If the binding worked, we should be able to tell by then.”

            Ravus was staring down at the blade in his hand, his eyes hard and cold. The further his brows drew together, the harder the shaking across his limb became until the tension snapped and he sloshed out of the shallow water and threw the borrowed sword to the side where it vanished into the air.

            “How long until Sophair is finished with my replacement,” the Tenebraen finally said, whirling around to face them. “I won’t be held on the side of weakness should he surface with her again.”

            “Cindy was saying a few more days at most if you were still wanting it,” Prompto said softly. “But dude, if she’s on his side now-”

            “She is _not_ ,” he interrupted. “And _if_ his compulsion worked then we will find a way to undo it.”

            “It isn’t that simple!” Zara cut in. “You may be blood of the Oracle, but that doesn’t change much through magic _or_ might. You are still very much susceptible to mortality. If you go barging in after her, he will have no qualms about killing you.”

            “What did they mean by replacement?” Ignis asked, leaning into Noct’s ear while the others argued over the best course of action.

            “We found your book and notes about using magitech for medicine in the Armiger after you left. Cid’s been working with Holly and Cindy on treating and shaping enough mythril to make Ravus a new arm. He said he didn’t want it after everything that went down, but I guess he’s changed his mind.”

            “Indeed,” he hummed.

            “Guys,” Noctis tried to call over the din, thoroughly ignored in favor of the shouting match. “Guys!”

            “ _What?!_ ” Ravus yelled back after another attempt, rounding on the Lucian king stiffly.

            “It’s not safe here,” Noct sighed. “We should go back to the ship and regroup with the others back at the Leville to make a plan.” He walked up and put a hand on Ravus’s shoulder. “We’ll find a way Ravus, I promise. But charging into a deathmatch tonight isn’t going to help Ezania.”

            A swell of pride echoed through Ignis’s core as he watched Noct start to lead them back towards Aranea’s airship, the elder Tenebrean reluctantly following with one more glance towards where the Accursed had disappeared. He’d grown in the time Ignis was gone, both to his joy and sorrow. He’d missed this development, what else had happened while he was away?

            The ride back was uneventful for the most part. Zara tended to their few injuries not severe enough to warrant potions before moving to stand secluded in the corner of the bay.

            “What did you two do while you were away,” Noct asked him softly after they landed, nodding towards the redhead winding the streets in front of them.

            “We battled a dragon,” he answered after a moment, taking the younger man’s hand in his own. “It was keeping him from escaping Ardyn’s memory trap.”

            “That’s it? Two months and that’s all you did?”

            “Well after we fought the dragon, Lady Lunafreya, or a spirit bearing her likeness, appeared and spoke a few words. She was intending to send me back alone I believe, but impulse drove me to grab hold to something before I could fall through.”

            “So you ended up dragging Zara through with you,” Noct observed,

            “Indeed.” Ignis hummed. “Time is not a concept that can be easily applied to what happened after that.” Noct shot him an inquisitive look, bumping his shoulder when he didn't continue. “We were, in essence, stuck in the space between that world and this one. Time was completely disjointed from reality until we fell to the other side. The fight and meeting with Lunafreya couldn’t have lasted more than a few hours, so the rest must have been spent in the void.”

            “Well, I’m glad you’re not stuck there anymore,” Noct hummed as he tucked his head up under Ignis’s chin. “Especially now that we need to utilize that smart noggin of yours. I promised Ravus we’d get Ezania back, and I’m going to need your help.”

            “Of cour-”

            A sharp sting sliced its way through the back of his mind before he could finish talking. A buzzing white crossed his vision and churned his stomach as he blindly grasped for Noctis’s hands.

            _Darkness. The shrouded moon over the desert. Two people. The top of the rock ridge near the Adamantoise that they’d never been able to cross. An oasis in the distance. A flower with glowing petals twining through the cracks of stone steps to an old forgotten structure. Purple eyes shining from the shadows._

            As quickly as it came, the vision ended, throwing off his equilibrium and leaving him sprawled across the metal floor. From his prone position, he could see Zara gasping on his hands and knees, his arms trembling to hold him up.

            “Ignis?” Noct asked, instantly kneeling by his side. “Are you okay?”

            Words were still coming back to him, so grumble was the best his charge got as he struggled to sit up.

            “You saw it?” Zara asked shakily.

            “Yes,” the advisor sighed.

            “That was no mere vision,” the redhead said as a few splotches of color bled back into his face. “We’re being summoned by someone, or something.”

            “I don’t know where that is,” Ignis ground out, pinching the bridge of his nose as a painful after buzz raced behind his eyes.

            “But I do,” the remnant said, getting back on his feet. “That building- it’s where I was raised. There is no doubt in my mind- we are being called to the Temple of Ifrit.”

***

            Dawn was creeping through the curtains as they waited for the others to arrive at the hotel. Zara was with Gladio by the table, looking over a modern map and trying to decipher how new landmarks fit into his old world knowledge. Noct seemed particularly jittery at the notion of visiting the ruins, citing that most encounters he’d had with the Gods had not ended without a fight to prove his worthiness.

            “You won’t be coming,” Zara said, turning from the table.

            “Excuse me, what?” Noct asked, growing defensive. “Why not?”

            “The vision only had two people. Given its recipients then Ignis and I are supposed to go alone.”

            “Hell no,” Gladio interjected. “If anyone goes anywhere, we’re going as a group. Things are getting too dangerous to be running out in the wilderness by yourselves.”

            “If it is demons that concern you then rest easy, I can keep them at bay. Besides, even if I couldn’t we are both experienced fighters.”

            “I think we should stay together,” Noct agreed with Gladio.

            “Noctis, it’ll be fine,” the advisor soothed, wrapping their hands together. “I promise I’ll be back before you know it.”

            “Last time you tried doing something on your own you _died_ Ignis. You died! And I could see you but I couldn’t help. Who knows what could happen if you’re off on your own and-“

            “Noctis,” he interrupted. “Look at me. Look. I promise, with all my heart, that I will be careful. No charging headfirst, no rash decisions. If it gets to be too dangerous we’ll turn back. Alright?”

            “This isn’t something you can convince me on, Ignis.”

            “It’s something I need you to trust me with all the same.”

            Noct shifted under his gaze, distaste for the conversation etched into his features.

            “We’ll talk about it later,” he said at last, pulling his hands away and moving to sit by Prompto instead.

            Zara moved around the couch and settled next into the newly vacated spot next to Ignis, pulling out his books and directing his attention to certain passages with illustrations explaining the various paths to the ruins. There was a dull, itchy burn dancing across his eyes as he looked down at the pages, eventually having to pull off his spectacles and rub at the irritated optics.

            “Bugger me,” he huffed, pressing slightly harder. It itched. It _burned_. His eyes were watering from the pressure but it hurt worse if he stopped. Astrals, what was going on? He felt fine just a moment ago…

            “Your sigil is burning,” Zara said, poking at the mark by the crook of his elbow. “Igris is trying to give you something.”

            “If they’re trying to give me a bloody migraine then it's working,” he hissed, the pressure turning to pain pulsing through him.

            Ignis watched through hazy puffs of eyes as Zara grabbed Prompto’s water bottle, unscrewed the cap, and threw its contents directly into Ignis’s face. He sputtered, noting hotly that the two younger Lucians across the room were struggling to stifle their laughter.

            “Igris is a rather dry mentor I’m afraid,” Zara said straight-faced, although amusement could be seen bubbling under the surface. “Feel better now?”

            Truthfully, yes, he was. The dull ache slowly diminished, and the dry burning around the edges of his eyelids was gone. He couldn’t think of a dignified way to answer that question though, so he simply hummed and slicked the moisture from his skin.

            Zara took Ignis’s face in his hands, turning it this way and that before staring into his eyes for a long moment.

            “When did you start feeling odd?” he asked thoughtfully.

            “While you were showing me passages.”

            The redhead nodded before sliding one of his books over onto the advisor’s lap.

            “Try looking at it again,” he suggested.

            Ignis dutifully focused back onto the ancient pages, scanning over the markings that created words he didn’t know. The longer he stared, the more it felt like the page was shifting under his fingers. Zara gripped his chin and forced him to keep watching when he tried to turn his head away again.

            “Keep looking,” he ordered. “Focus. What do you see?”

            He locked onto the letters once again, trying to study their shapes and patterns. What was he supposed to see? It was just Sol, just Zara’s journals talking about-

            A gasp escaped him as he shot to his feet, the book tumbling to the ground, the passage about Zara finding a path down from his meadow to the river no longer relevant.

            “As I suspected then,” Zara smiled. “You have an affinity for the gift of tongues.”

            “The gift of tongues?” Noct echoed. “What’s that?”

            “A gift to understand languages without learning them,” Ravus provided from his pacing place by the window. “Not many people have it.”

            “Uh Prince?” came Cindy’s voice cut through from the open door to the hall, her body appearing soon afterward. “You boys are gonna want to see this.”

            That didn’t sound good.

            “Sorry to keep you boys waiting,” she said as they followed her down to the lobby where Cid, Holly, and Iris were standing by the door. “But the upper levels don’t give you a view of it and we were struck for a quick minute before thinkin to fetch yall.”

            Before Ignis could ask what she was referring to, they walked out onto the cobbled entrance steps, where the sun was shining down through a haze of whispy black strings of miasma.

            Zara shifted under the eerie light of the sky before sighing deeply.

            “And so it begins.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the recent MIA spell! I went to SabotenCon, met a bunch of awesome people- including a really pretty Ravus cosplayer who I went on a date with on Wednesday. And planned another one with for sunday. Basically, I've been distracted from ironing out the second half of this story's plot because I've been living a glorified coffee shop au lol


	33. 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noct and Iggy have a little chat, and then most words don't matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be warned- only 800 of these words relate to plot. The other 1,782 are pure, unabashedly, self-indulgent smut.

            An hour passed under the not-quite-present sun where their group of friends and allies gathered and bounced plans off each other. Ideas were set in motion as Ravus went with Cindy and Cid to start the finishing details for his new arm, the others piling back up to the hotel room to rest before charging off dead on their feet.

            Only one thing remained- Noctis was still upset with him about being left behind. Ignis gingerly shut the door to their room, the gentle click of the latch deafening in the quiet silence his prince was giving him from the bed.

            Slowly making his way around to the other side, the advisor crawled up onto the mattress behind him, gently wrapping his arms around the other man.

            “Do you want to talk about it now?” he asked hesitantly. While Noct was usually forthcoming about his feelings in regards to action, there were times when he got so involved with his emotions that he shut down and wouldn’t communicate with anyone. It seemed like that might be where things were headed.

            The prince just grumbled something and turned around to bury his face in Ignis’s neck, his arms slinking around to squeeze his chest hard enough that it became difficult to breathe. The younger man continued to mumble into his chamberlain’s skin, his words consumed into the flesh before Ignis could catch more than one or two words.

            “Noct,” he said softly, pulling back, his leech of a prince only clinging tighter. “Noct, look at me.” After a moment, blue eyes peeked out from under the black fringe. “What’s this about? Don’t you think we can handle it? We’ve done much worse than walk through decrepit ruins.”

            “But we did that _together_ Ignis,” Noctis said, pouting slightly. “That was different because you had us to help you if things went wrong.”

            “And this time I’ll have Zara.”

            “Sorry, but I don’t know him as well as you. I saw him once, through a mirror, and then he showed up with you after two months of us grieving. I know that Prompto thinks he’s cool, and Ravus seems to trust him but I don’t _know_ him Ignis and the last time we trusted a stranger for help it turned out to be the literal living personification of evil and sentient garbage.”

            “So why do I feel like there’s more to this then?”

            Noctis tucked his head back under Ignis’s chin before continuing. “I don’t know him… and I might be a little jealous of how easily he made his way in here.”

            “ _Jealous?_ ” Ignis asked incredulously.

            “I mean, he’s only been here for what, a few days? Prompto adores him, he got Ravus out of his room in two days after we’d been trying for months, Gladio says he was a wonder to watch with a sword last night, and the whole town was captivated him during the festival. It’s like no matter where he goes people are welcoming him with open arms.”

            “If what little history remaining of him is to be believed, he was always rather a… social chameleon shall we say. The people of Solheim loved him before everything went to ruin. I fail to see why that should evoke such emotions though.”

            “Because he’s like me,” Noctis said, pulling away and standing to emphasize his point. “He’s like me, only he’s _better_. He’s smarter, he’s stronger, and he has more magic than me and actually knows how to use it. He’s literally so much better than I am that Ardyn had to nerf him to keep things under control. I mean yeah, I’m the Chosen King or whatever, but he is literally the son of a god, Ignis. A _god_. And he’s not even at his top game right now, this is all probably just a warm up to him.”

            “He’s also two thousand years old,” Ignis reminded him from the bed as he paced. “He’s had time to master the skills his birthright gives him. If you had that allotment to study, you would as well.”

            “Do you think he’s attractive?” Noct asked suddenly, whirling back and clambering onto the bedspread, pushing the blond back into the pillows in his urgency.

            “He’s not unpleasant to look at,” Ignis admitted from underneath his prince. “But my heart belongs solely to you, and it always will. Zara will never be more than a friendly comrade.”

            “You promise?”

            “I swear.”

            “And you promise that if you two go off alone together that you’re not going to let him try anything?”

            “I doubt that he would,” Ignis laughed dryly. “But yes, I promise.”

            “And if trouble comes you’ll be smart and come to get us for back up?”

            “Absolutely.”

            Noct leaned down and kissed him breathless, his fingers dragging his advisor’s hands up above his head.

            “I still don’t like the idea of you two going into the dark alone,” Noctis panted. “But if you promise to be careful, then I guess I can trust you.”

            “That’s all I’d ever ask for,” Ignis hummed, craning his neck to bring their lips together once again.

            Noctis kept his hands pinned as he teased Ignis from above, moving this way and that so that whatever the blond was wanting was just barely out of reach. He hovered over him, close enough to let Ignis brush their lips together, but too far for the advisor to kiss him properly.

            It was maddeningly delightful.

            There was a tightness settling in his core, and more prominently in his trousers as the prince worked a type of magic Ignis was the only one allowed to see. The way his hair was dangling in his face, the dampened light hitting the pale skin of his throat, the playful smirk dancing on his mouth as he leaned in to tease the advisor here and there… they were all ingredients in the perfect recipe for driving him mad.

            Only once want had him shaking did Ignis lay down his pride.

            “Noctis,” he gasped as the prince nipped at his neck. “ _Please_.”

            “Please what, Specs?” the prince smiled into his skin, moving to straddle his hips as he swiped his tongue over the shell of the blond’s ear, causing a shuddering pleasure to go coursing through his veins.

            “ _Please_ ,” Ignis whined again, feeling his skin flush with the needy sound as his body jerked under his prince. Words weren’t making sense to his brain anymore, but Astrals did Noct sound beautiful when his voice was thick with desire.

            “Tell me what you want, Ignis,” Noctis hummed by his ear. “Tell me what you want and I’ll do it.”

            “Noctis…” he moaned. What sort of debauched puddle had his beloved pale raven-edged angel made him into? How could he say anything when even just this was so much he felt like his heart might burst?

            “Tell me,” the aforementioned angel prodded again, shifting his hold on Ignis’s wrists so that they were held in one of his own, the other sliding down to cup the advisor’s face.

            “Touch me,” he pleaded brokenly, his eyes clamping closed as embarrassed heat flooded his face.

            He was rewarded with another searing kiss and the release of his hands and Noct’s fingers delved under his shirt to trace patterns on his skin.

            “Gods you’re so beautiful,” Noctis breathed against his lips, nipping at the bottom one to make Ignis gasp again. “Better than I ever imagined. Can’t believe you’re mine.”

            “Who taught you to break men?” Ignis panted, only partially joking. There was no way Noctis could be this controlled without practice…

            “I taught myself,” his prince smiled. “Because I dreamed one day I’d get to break you.”

            “I am thoroughly broken then,” he croaked, throwing his head back with a hiss as Noct’s blunt nails raced down his abdomen. “Do that again…”

            Noct obeyed, the pleasant burn ricocheting all the way down to the tightness in his jeans. A few seconds later had the raven-haired prince divesting his advisor of his shirt and pressing kisses into the planes of his chest.

            This was so much different than their first time all heat and edges where before it had been soft and shy.

            “Wanna see you,” Noctis mumbled into his mouth. “All of you.”

            “As my liege desires,” Ignis sighed, stubbornly deciding to not point out that they’d already seen each other fully bared in the shower.

            Noct fumbled with the belt around Ignis’s waist, the movement sending tiny stripes of friction over his arousal while he simultaneously tried to help Noctis out of his own clothes. He’d managed to get past the jacket and t-shirt before his prince was pinning his hands above his head again.

            “Keep these here,” he ordered with a kiss before going back to his previous task, Ignis lifting his hips to let the garments be tugged down his legs and cast aside.

            “Gods, Ignis,” the prince gasped, taking in the sight. The blond turned his head to the side, heat twisting in his belly. He thought it would feel demeaning, being put on display like this, but with Noct’s eyes eating at his form all he could feel was strong. Powerful even, as he captured the attentions of his unfairly beautiful ethereal partner.

            “You’re so fucking gorgeous,” his charge ground out as his hands swept the sides of Ignis’s legs. “Look at this,” he said, tracing a finger around his hipbone. “Look at how lean you are, how graceful your body is.”

            Noctis continued his exploration of the flesh beneath him, his words constantly flowing with praise over whatever he found. Ignis was a man who accepted a little vanity, but he felt like a masterpiece with his beloved running his hands over him like a precious piece of art.

            He wanted to do the same, but Noct had told him not to move his hands, and so he stayed still, twitching under the gentle caress that came so close to where it was needed but danced away at the last moment.

            “I’d say you’ve been thoroughly touched now,” Noct purred. “What else do you want?”

            “To touch you,” he panted.

            Noct grabbed his hands and settled them on his still clothed waist. “Then touch.”

            He wasn’t sure what gave him the urge, but with permission granted he wrapped his arms around the prince and quickly changed their positions so that Ignis was now the one hovering over Noct.

            “You’re a bloody tease, you know that?” Ignis smirked into Noct’s neck as he left a trail of his own kisses down the younger man’s neck, across his chest, down his abs, right to the edge of his black tented pants. One of his hands fiddled with the button while his lips sought out that delightfully perfect curve in Noct’s jawline with smug satisfaction as the object of his affections writhed under him, seemingly just as desperate as his advisor.

            “Ignis,” Noct panted. “I wanna…”

            “What?” he encouraged as he kissed at the long column of his throat, slipping the trousers and undergarments down to the prince’s thighs. “What do you want?”

            Noct keened in favor of a real answer, bucking his hips as the fabric slid away to leave him free. He quickly kicked them off the rest of the way, flinging them off his foot to join the rest of their clothes on the floor. He pulled on Ignis’s hair, something the advisor was finding he liked _very much_ , and pulled him into another lip lock as he pushed on Ignis’s shoulder until the blond caved back into the pillows so he could crawl on top.

            Ignis quickly decided that, while it had been pleasurable the first time, grinding without clothing separating them was supremely _better_. It was so much more satisfying to feel the pale skin under his fingers as he gripped Noct’s hips and fell into rhythm with him, the heated and hard flesh dragging against his own unbelievably more enticing.

            “More,” Noctis groaned softly, pushing harder against the man under him. “Want more.”

            “I’m yours,” Ignis breathed against his lips, sighing as Noct’s pale fingers twisted in his roots again.

            “Mine,” Noct sighed, straightening up and bracing himself on Ignis’s thighs as they rocked together. The pace got faster, Noct breathing hard as his length dragged over Ignis’s skin while they pressed together.

            Feeling bold, the blond trailed a hand over Noct’s hip and leg before snaking to wrap his hand around the flushed shaft, drawing a rather loud moan from his lover.

            “Hush or someone might hear,” he chided halfheartedly.

            Noct dutifully bit his lip as he threw his head back, bucking into the hand around him, gasping as Ignis started moving in time, giving a little twist at the end.

            “Don’t stop,” Noct panted softly. “Oh please, please don’t stop.”

            For a few lust-hazed minutes Ignis watched in wonder as Noctis thrust forward into his hand, his face becoming more and more desperate until a soft, strangled cry worked its way out of his mouth as white spread over Ignis’s fingers and stomach.

            Noct flopped forward, nestling into Ignis’s neck for a minute while he caught his breath before his fingers curiously slid down to tease at the cave of his hips before curling around the base of the erection slightly lower.

            “Can I try something?” Noct asked huskily, gently tugging gasps out of his lover who could do no more than nod his consent to the request. “Close your eyes.”

            Noct kissed him slowly before breaking away and shuffling his way down the other’s body until his lips met with the jut of Ignis’s hip.

            The blond gasped as he felt a soft puff of air blow against the tender flesh in Noct’s hand quickly followed by a shy lick that had him shaking.

            “Is this okay?” the royal asked.

            “Gods yes,” Ignis moaned, his fingers curling in the sheets as Noct swiped at him again.

            Despite his best effort, he still bucked a little when Noctis’s lips sealed around him. It was warm, and wet, and _good_. There were a few moments where teeth brushed against him none too gently, but it just made his toes curl and his thighs tremble as he tried to stay still. Noctis was clumsy, but the act was nonetheless enjoyable as he sucked hard enough to hollow out his cheeks before coming off with a pop to lick at the flesh some more.

            Ignis threw his head back into the pillows as Noct suckled around him again, his hands involuntarily finding their way into his black hair.

            “Noct,” he shuddered. “ _Noct_ …”

            He could feel tears gathering in his eyes as the tension grew, his body tensing and quaking as Noct’s administrations hurled him closer and closer to the edge. He used his leverage in the dark locks to pull his charge back just moments before he was overcome, his own hand seeking out the flesh to anchor himself as euphoria washed over him and he panted against his prince’s mouth.

            “Good?” Noctis asked with a smile as Ignis trembled with pleasurable aftershocks.

            “I must have done something right,” the advisor breathed. “If fate saw fit to give me your love as a reward.”

            “You’re a nerd,” the other laughed. “C’mon, let’s get cleaned up and go to bed. We got stuff to do when we get up.”

            And with that, Ignis was happily dragged along to a bath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why am I like this? lol
> 
> ALSO!!!!! I am accepting requests for writing prompts:) Anything in FFXV, anything sans non-con, and any character(s). Fics would be in their own little series, so hmu and drop a comment if you wanna see me write A Thing:)


	34. 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhhhhh boy. Sorry its been forever. I rewrote this chapter like seven times and decided this was it or I'd go insane lol. IDK why this was so difficult to set up for the next chapter, and sorry its a bit short, but I hope you enjoy!

            “You’re sure that’s where you two are supposed to be going? Pretty sure someone would have pointed out a Solheim temple in the middle of Duscae.”

            Noctis and Zara were leaning over the island counter in the kitchen, maps spread far and wide as they discussed exactly what was going to be happening once the sun rose for the day.

            “The temple has always been hidden from the common eye in the heart of the stone walls. Nature was one of our best defenses in the past.”

            “I’ll be sure to bring a few extra cureitives,” Ignis interjected as he set breakfast down on top of the maps. “Where there is darkness, there will be demons.”

            “I do not know how the Scourge may have affected the magics of the temple,” Zara responded. “We would be wise to tread with extra caution. A summons is of no use if we perish before the message can be delivered.”

            “What do you think it is?” Noct asked around a mouthful of eggs.

            “There was familiarity in the source, whatever it was,” the redhead observed. “I do not believe it comes from someone actively wishing us harm.”

            “Chow down and pack up,” Prompto said as he bounded into the room. “The big guy says we gotta leave in ten if we’re gonna drop you off on time!”

***

            “We’re estimating that there’s only going to be around four or five hours of light today,” Gladio huffed as Noctis worked a thread of magic to connect Ignis back into the Armiger. The haze of dawn was just barely starting to peek over the horizon. “You’re going to have to push pretty hard if you’re going to make it down and back before dark.”

            “And the chocobos aren’t going to want to go underground, so you’ll have to do that part on foot,” Prompto added, double checking the harnesses around the birds.

            “You’ve got your phone?” Noct asked, pulling Ignis to the side for a moment.

            “Yes, though I fear it won’t be worth much once we head under.”

            “That’s why Cindy and I rigged this up for you,” the raven said, pressing a small device into his palm. “It’s enchanted to gather signal up here that can be converted for use down there. The magic should be enough to get a call through if things go south.”

            “I’ll keep it on hand. Thank you Noct.”

            “You can thank me by coming back in one piece,” the prince sighed, winding his arms around the blond’s neck and pressing their foreheads together. “I’m still not sure about you going without me and the guys. We can’t do this without you.”

            “I’ll give a signal for help at the first sign we might be in over our heads,” the advisor promised. “I’m not going to leave you again.”

            A chaste kiss was pressed between them, Ignis taking a moment to appreciate what was before him. He’d keep his word about calling for help, but there was always a chance they’d be gone before it ever arrived. If that were the case, this would be the moment he’d want to dwell on.

            “Are you ready to set out?” The two pulled apart as Zara came up to them.

            “As ready as he’ll ever be,” Noct answered for him. “Take care of him out there Zara. If something happens, I’m pinning it on you.”

            “Duly noted, Your Majesty.”

***

            “The terrain has become so much more parse since the mountain begun erosion,” Zara said, mournfully observing the small plants that fought to exist under the scorching sun. “This used to be such a lovely area, now it’s all but a wasteland.”

            “It must be strange for you,” Ignis agreed as they continued to search for a path. “To be in a world so similar to what you knew, yet entirely different.”

            “Yes, but it seems to be the same enough here at least,” the redhead smiled as his grey chocobo flapped its wings and turned hard in a circle. “I do believe we’re near the entrance to the path. He will not go any further.”

            “Clever bird,” Ignis agreed as he clambered down off his own ride. “Let’s have a look.”

            Tying the reins to a low branch on a desert shrub, the duo set off on foot in the direction the birds seemed to want to avoid. Ignis could start to see the faded edges of a path appear from the sand and desert grass, becoming more solid as they ventured further into the shadow of what used to be a great mountain.

            Sure enough, the longer they walked, the more defined the way became until small stone walls cropped up around the sides, the remnants of civilization emerging from the blurred memories of the earth until the rock around them surged in and formed a tunnel.

            “It is unsettling,” Zara whispered in the stillness as they entered the mouth of the cave. “There used to be at least one priest on the road at any point of the day to greet visitors to the temple. Now there is no one, not even in the form of a fire to guide through the dark.”

            “Well then it’s most fortunate that humanity’s ingenuity provided us with a new type of torch,” the advisor said softly, flipping on the light attached to his lapel. It lasted for a few minutes before it started to flicker. The stuttering reached a frenzied pace before a small hiss echoed from the flashlight and it fizzled out.

            “Slightly less fortunate now,” Zara said with a dry sense of humor as a new light flickered across his fingers. “Perhaps when in the place of ancients we should do as the ancients did.”

            “A capital idea.”

            Continuing, the walls and ceiling pressed in ever further, giving Ignis the feeling of being slowly strangled by the earth around them. Thankfully though, bless the Six, just before he felt like he might burst from it the pathway opened up into a large room. Long wells along the walls were quickly put to use as the semi-divine filled them with fire, casting a low orange haze along the contours of the room. Rock pillars stood tall on either side of a large frame of stone filigree depicting… nothing. All that way and they’d come upon a dead end.

            “This isn’t right,” Zara said, wringing his hands together. “The path should have opened to the entrance to the main grounds.”

            A hiss of purple miasma whirled through the air, the skittering laughter of imps following soon after, although the creatures did not materialize.

            “Something must have changed after you left,” Ignis thought aloud, summoning his weapons to hand with a flash of blue light even though he could not see his opponents.

            “Indeed,” Zara said, his copy of the Warrior’s katana shimmering into view. “But I suspect we’ll have to entertain company before we can puzzle it out.”

            With that, as though on cue, several packs of demons dropped from the ceiling and crawled up from the floor. Most of them were small, harmless until gathered in groups like these. It became apparent very quickly though that they weren’t the main problem here. A few minutes into the fight, a large beast moved in from a swirl of miasma, its long tendrils and birdlike face unlike any demon Ignis had ever seen before. It was in view for all of two seconds before it was wrapping around Zara from behind and hoisting him off the ground with a screech, whirling the redhead around so fast that the blade in his hand shattered when it hit the wall.

            The replica was quickly followed by its creator and master, the beast beating Zara against the stone between the filigree points until a smattering of off-colored blood splattered over the grey stones.

            Oddly enough, the demons reacted with the exact opposite of what Ignis was expecting. Typically when one of the humans had been harmed enough to draw blood, the creatures would howl and scream and writhe with excitement as they prepared for victory. Thankfully they’d never been successful in killing the Lucian king or his retainers, but when Zara’s flesh broke it was like everything Ignis knew about demons from experience was thrown out the window.

            Oh, they howled and yelled, but in an entirely different way. It echoed with fear, and the bird-demon released its prey and recoiled as though it had been burned. In moments the creatures had run away, disappearing back into the shadows as though they’d never been there at all.

            All that remained as evidence of the short and vicious battle was a cut on Ignis’s brow, the slivers of the replica katana, and Zara lying in a puddle of his own strangely colored blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun DUn DUUNNN. 
> 
> PS for those of you who may care, the Ravus Cosplayer asked me to tell you he says hello:) He's taken up post as my beta reader as well as BF so you may get little things from him in the notes lol.
> 
> Hopefully it won't be so long until next time!


	35. 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> +ﾟ*｡:ﾟ+~(✿◕▽◕)~ For you lovelies:) +ﾟ*｡:ﾟ+

            The small grits on the stone floor scattered like thunder as Ignis clambered over to the redhead, heaving a sigh of relief when his amber eyes cracked open slightly.

            “He caught me by surprise,” Zara murmured softly, blood flicking from the edges of his mouth. “I shouldn’t have let myself be so distracted by the small ones.”

            The ginger rolled to his side with a grunt, coughing as more dark blood passed his lips to dribble onto the ground. Ignis reached into the Armiger and pulled out a potion, cracking it open over the injured man and watching the abrasions on his flesh slowly knit together. Another one followed to try and finish the worst of the cuts and breaks, but it just evaporated on the surface without doing any more to help.

            “I appreciate the effort,” Zara sighed. “But as I’m not entirely human, I don’t think it will do any more for me.”

            A gasp echoed from Ignis’s lips as the blood from Zara’s injuries rippled on the ground before small drops started to lift into the air, swirling with a tingle of magic before spreading themselves across the wall between the pillars.

            “ _Malusa,_ ” Zara growled as the sigil took shape, the Sol swear pinging off something in the back of the mortal’s mind. “ _Hoc mai oddisae._ We need to go back. You and I will not be enough to open the path by ourselves.”

            Ignis wrapped the redhead’s arm around his shoulder, helping him to his feet whilst digging through his pocket to pull out the cellular adapter Noct had given him. Foresight seemed to be coming to the young noble more readily nowadays, which was a blessing if Ignis ever knew one.

            It was slightly difficult to fit the adapter into the port on his mobile with just one hand, but once it was in a series of numbers flashed on the screen before it automatically called Noctis.

            “Iggy?” the prince answered after two rings. “Are you alright? What happened?”

            “I’m fine,” Ignis huffed, setting the device to speakerphone settings and putting in the breast pocket of his jacket as he half carried the redhead back through the passage. “But Zara is injured and the curatives aren’t working.”

            “The demons are still nearby,” Zara gasped. “I can feel them lurking. We’d best return to the light.”

            “I heard that,” Noct said, his voice distorting as he pulled away from the phone to speak to someone else before returning. “Cid installed a tracker in the adapter. Aranea is gonna use it to pick you guys up and bring you back. We’ll have to figure something else out.”

            “Have her bring them here instead,” the ginger insisted. “I know how to get past the magic, but we’ll need your prince’s help.”

            “Did you hear that Noctis?”

            “Yeah,” the other muttered through the phone. “But where I go we all go, so he’ll have to deal with ignoring a few details from your summons.”

            “It’s not as though we didn’t try. I’m sure our host will understand the change in circumstance,” Zara ground out, stopping to cough little dark red flecks onto the stone. He waved off the potion Ignis offered with a shake of his head. “Save it for someone who can use it, I’ll be fine once we get above ground.”

            “Ignis?” Noct asked from the pocket. “Can you still hear me?”

            “Loud and clear, your highness.”  
            “Aranea says the area you’re in has something that messes with the controls on the airships, so it will take a little longer for us to reach you two. Get to the surface and stay put. We’re on our way.”

            “We will be here, your Grace,” Ignis sighed as the tunnel began to widen and a hint of light shone in the distance.

            “I’ll try to be qui-” Noctis’s response cut off with a fizzle and a pop, much like when Ignis’s flashlight had died earlier. Without the glow of the call screen, they were once again plunged into darkness with the light at the end of the tunnel their only guide.

            A shadow crossed in front of the light, it’s purple tendrils blocking the diluted glow as a demon took shape.

            “ _Sustinetisva,_ ” the creature warbled, its voice deep and gnarled. “ _Hie continua._ ”

            “ _O beatia stellare dai Vita eta Luxiam_ ,” Zara mumbled into the advisor’s shoulder, magic sparking on his fingers as the beast lost its nerve and scuttled away in fear, allowing the two of them to pass into the dim daylight at last.

            “The sun should set soon, if Gladio and Ravus calculated things right,” Ignis said as he helped his companion to sit on the short stone wall beside the road. “By the time Noct and the others arrive, I fear darkness will have set in full.”

            “Yes, well that’s the price we pay for failing to stop the Accursed from jumpstarting a whole new level of Armageddon,” Zara frowned, undoing the clasp around his neck to allow his top to pool around his waist. Where the low light touched an injury, the marred flesh flickered and glowed, knitting itself back together with a hiss from the man.

            “The light heals you?” Ignis asked, struck by the sight.

            “I am made of mortal flesh and heavenly fire,” Zara answered as the last of the major wounds were whisked away and he replaced his clothes. “My father may be an outcast, but his gifts are still here, and they still care for those dedicated to his service.”

            “If the magic here cares so much, why weren’t we permitted into the temple? Why let us be attacked at all in the first place?”

            “The sigil on the wall is one I’ve seen in theory but never in practice. It’s designed specifically for warding Ifrit’s temple and his priests, though we never had need of it while I was present.” The man leaned back on the wall and stretched out his legs, tilting his head back to capture the last rays of the sun. “As a safety measure, the high priest was the only one who could place it. And only the current king and Oracle could remove it once danger was past.”

            “But Lady Lunafreya is dead,” Ignis pointed out.

            “Yes, but it should work if I take her place,” Zara hummed. “We are similar, after all, in our Divine purpose.”

            “And what purpose is that, exactly? You never have said what you were brought into life for.”

            “To ease the burdens of those affected by the darkness, and to act as a bridge between the worlds of men and Gods. There is more, of course, but that’s the important part right now.”

            A squawking _kweh_ alerted them to the chocobos just before they bolted from the desert brush and barreled up to their temporary owners. Small scratches on their legs and tufts of missing feathers tugged at Ignis’s heart while he tried to soothe the frightened birds.

            “It would seem the shadows of the overpass were deep enough for a few imps to bully the poor things,” Zara lamented as he ran his fingers through his steed’s feathers to try and get them to lay flat again. “It’s a good thing we didn't tie the reins too tightly, or else they may have ended up far worse.” His bird picked up one of the redhead’s braids in its beak and tugged on it to demand more attention, eliciting a laugh from the man as he resumed petting it.

            “They don’t seem too terribly harmed,” Ignis agreed.

            “Let’s find somewhere more suitable to rest while we wait for the others,” the redhead suggested. “If memory serves, there should be a hill somewhere nearby guarded by wards that will keep the demons off us in the dark.”

            “That’s a good idea.”

            Ignis held the reins of his bird loosely in his hand, giving the chocobo plenty of slack as they followed the ginger trailblazer around the side of the slope and under a natural rock arch. They followed the hazy path up the side of the arch’s incline to where silvery blue runes glowed in the stone.

            They settled in with the birds to await the prince’s arrival as light faded from the world once again.

***

            “I don’t like this,” Prompto whined from his place beside the braziers. “Creepy markings are bad enough, but creepy markings written in _blood_? Yeah, hard pass.”

            The sigil was still smeared across the rock wall dividing the group from the temple grounds, eliciting a response from the others of their entourage as they’d entered the chamber.

            “Then you can hang out here and fight all the demons by yourself,” Gladio teased with a huff, causing the young blond to shake his head frantically.

            “No way dude! Weird wall paint is totally not bad enough to make me pick hanging out with the creepy crawlies.”

            “Explain to me how this works again,” Noct requested, sidestepping his two mock-quarreling friends.

            “You will draw on the power of the ring,” Zara said as he drafted smaller runes onto the stone around the blockage with a white stick of chalk. “While your power gives strength to the runes physically, mine will draw on the force of Divinity to blur the line between realms. Between the two of us, we should have enough magical energy to shift the main rune back into the astral plane, thereby dissolving the barricade.”

            “Did Solheim never hear of a lock?” Noctis snarked good-naturedly.

            “We were a dramatic bunch, here in the temple,” the redhead smiled over his shoulder before dusting the chalk off his hands. “Fires of passion and creativity and all that.”

            “Alright,” Noct called as the rest of them took their places throughout the room. “Let’s do this.”

            Noct and Zara stood side by side, their hands outstretched towards the wall, the rest of them holding their breath as they waited to witness…

            “Uh, dudes?” Prompto piped up after a few seconds. “Nothing’s happening.”

            Noct let his arm fall to his side with a huff, Zara following suit soon after.

            “I thought you said this would work,” Noctis groaned irritably.

            “I _thought_ it would,” Zara defended, taking a step back and putting his hands on his hips. “We must be missing something.”

            “An Oracle. We’re missing an Oracle.”

            “No, that’s not the problem,” the redhead said. “We are both capable of wielding the magic required, title has little to do with it beyond that.” He shifted his weight before casting a glance at the other three by the entrance.

            “We don’t have an Oracle and this is not going to work,” Noct said, crossing his arms.

            “We need a buffer,” Zara said after another moment of intense staring. “We have the magic but it isn’t linked like the King and Oracle’s are inherently.”

            “Okay, so how do we link them?”

            The semi-divine paused for another few breaths before decisively gesturing to the elder blond in the trio. “Ignis, come here.” His steps faltered when the ginger turned his attention back to the prince with a stern look. “Give him the ring,” he demanded.

            “There is no way in _hell_ I’m letting Ignis wear that again,” Noct said with a quiet, seething anger.

            “You are bound to Ignis,” Zara explained calmly. “Ignis is bound to me, and we are all bound to the ring or the source of its power. If Ignis wears the ring and channels the magic into you on its behalf, then we will have a link strong enough to get into the temple. Then you can have it back.”

            “How do you know that it won’t hurt him?” Gladio butted in.

            “Ignis has already paid the price to wield it,” the immortal answered. “Besides, I am inherent to what lies within. If the Gods request a second sacrifice, then I will intervene and pay it on his behalf.”

            “And if the Gods don’t find you worthy?”

            “The Gods would not kill their beloved world’s best chance of survival, I’m sure.”

            “It doesn’t matter,” Noct cut in again. “We can speculate on it all night, but the choice isn’t ours.” He turned to his advisor. “I don’t like the thought of putting you at risk, but if answering the summons is important to you then I’ll help. This is your decision Iggy, if you don’t want to wear the ring we can look for another way.”

            “You truly think this will work without harm?” he asked the redhead after a moment of thought.

            “I do.”

            Ignis took Noct’s hands in his own, pressing a kiss to his mouth as he worked the ring that had always been with the Lucis Caelum line off his charge’s finger and into his own palm.

            He took a step back to inspect the jewelry in the orange-y light of the fires, noting the small shine from the crystal shard in the center.

            “Alright then,” Ignis said, trying to sound strong. “Let’s get this done.”

            And with that, he slid the Ring of The Lucii onto his finger once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My BF is going to draw art from this chapter and other scenes and I'm SupER PUmPeD!!!!!!!!!!!!


	36. 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ifrit's temple has seen some better days...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like the ambiance, I wrote this to the dungeon theme (extended version):  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef94FrxcK1w&t=1336s
> 
> enjoy!!

            The moment that the ring passed his last knuckle, white filled his vision. He could feel it- the fires of divine power coursing through his veins as figures took shape in the blinding light of his mind’s eye.

            _“You stand before us once again, O Hand of The King,”_ rang out the booming voice of Bahamut.

            _“And with him comes the Chosen and the Remnant,”_ Leviathan echoed like the waves upon the shore as the shapes of Noct and Zara joined him.

            “The Astrals,” Noctis breathed.

            “Indeed,” Zara hummed.

            _“And where does the Son of Ifrit place his loyalties?”_ Ramuh asked. _“Does he follow in the scorched path of his father’s treachery?”_

“I seek to serve,” the redhead answered.

            _“An answer with many meanings,”_ Leviathan said.

            _“But an honest one all the same,”_ Shiva said. _“His trinity has failed, but he himself has not. Three stand before us, and three have the right to power.”_

 _“I will not grant Grace to those not of the blood,”_ Bahamut interrupted.

 _“The blood of the Covenant is thicker than the water of the womb,”_ Shiva countered. _“Ignis has acquired the God’s Remnant, as instructed. He has proved himself worthy.”_

 _“And he has given all for his King,”_ Titan reminded them, breaking his silence. _“His devotion is as strong as the foundations of the earth.”_

 _“Shall we amend then?”_ Leviathan asked, swirling her way in-between the three servants. _“Create a new trinity to transcend the old?”_

 _“We must, if Fate is to change for mercy,”_ Ramuh said sagely. _“With Sickness and Chaos afflicting the world, there is no other way.”_

 _“Then it is decided,”_ Bahamut said, turning his attention back to the trio. _“By Divine accord be thee Three bound as One. Take the crop of the old to sew the seeds of the new, that the might of Divinity may go with thee hence.”_

 _“So let it be written,”_ the five Gods said together as the feeling of being burned swelled in Ignis’s chest, so hot he screwed his eyes closed. _“So let it be done.”_

            The pain eased, dulling to a warmth in his chest. Something was pulling at him, tugging around his core insistently in a way he could not escape.

            Bindings.

            The thought blindsided him, but once offered it clicked. It felt much like his tie to the Armiger, only now the string he’d compared it to was more like a rope twining around him and connecting him to Noctis. And he could feel there was a second one. Another strand of magic led away from Ignis, wrapping unseen around a mass of power he’d not felt in full force before.

            He was tied directly into both the powerhouses of Noct’s Armiger _and_ Zara’s Nexus, the two different energies mixing inside him and making his cells buzz.

            He could feel it in his bones- they were connected now.

            No words were exchanged as he lifted his hand again, knowing the others were as well. The power surged, filling every cavity in his body as the burning from the ring lifted and was spent against the sigil on the wall. There were few words Ignis could think of to describe the feeling coursing through him as he _felt_ the marking shift from one reality to another.

            Was this raw unfiltered power what Noct felt all the time?

            When his eyes opened it was to fading white light, the ring on his finger shining still through the hazy orange of the flames around them. Traces of its light wound up his arm, curling around his muscles and igniting the brand near his elbow. Amber light to the left and blue to the right confirmed his belief in their synchronistic use of magic.

            With a crack and hiss of power, the stone wall crumbled away, its fractured pieces turning to sand as they fell. Beyond, a heavy, humid, and stale air stirred for the first time in eons.

            The rock path was much more defined here, despite the cracked edges of its stones. Gnarled and twisted trees hung down from above, a distant light shining through a crack in the stone ceiling overhead. The leaves and vines were what captured Ignis’s attention, their faint glowing eerily beautiful.

            “It’s like a jungle in here, and you can’t see anything over the trees,” Gladio said in awe as they stepped over the threshold. “How is this place surviving?”

            “This is what the whole of Duscae used to look like, minus the light,” Zara said. “This part has persisted through the years. A miracle, if I’ve ever seen one.”

            “Maybe it’s got to do with being underground?”

            “No, these are being sustained by magic, as evident by how it glows. The bioluminescence doesn’t come naturally.”

            “So whatever’s lurking in here is feeding the plants?” Prompto asked. “That’s nice I guess.”

            “Now where do we go?” Noct asked, turning to his advisor. “You two are the ones who saw the vision.”

            “There were stairs,” Ignis said, thinking back while he passed the Ring of the Lucii back to its owner. “Old stone stairs with glowing flowers coming out of the cracks.”

            He and the redhead stiffened at the same moment, the buzz of a messenger filling Ignis’s head for a moment.

               “ _Ela se méana.”_ Noct caught him as he stumbled, his vision going fuzzy around the edges as the woman spoke. _“Ela se deais.”_

“It’s talking to us,” Ignis ground out, blinking the world back into focus.

               “Then we’d best listen,” Zara said.

               Something skittered through the brush, rustling the leaves and making the group jump.

               “That twice by thrice damned bird won’t get the better of me a second time,” Zara grumbled, summoning a weapon to his hand. “Come on, the main steps should be this way.”

               “This place is giving me the creeps,” Prompto muttered as they dipped under branches and vines. “Why can’t the thing we need ever be somewhere bright and shiny? With a rainbow or something?”

               “Stop bitching and keep up,” Gladio huffed. “It’s just a little dirt.”

               “Dirt is the last thing I’m worried about big guy. I’m totally more freaked out by the demons that are gonna- whoa.”

               Prompto cut off as they came around a gap in the trees to see a long, heavy set stone staircase leading up to a massive set of stone ruins. Vines curled around the pillars along the path, their glowing purple-pink flowers like little pinpricks in the shallow, cold and diffused moonlight. Parts of the ruins had caved in, the foliage taking root among the fallen stones and twining into the cracks of what remained.

               And a large naga demon was curled up on the steps.

               Weapons were called to arms in moments, the beast stirring from its slumber to flick its tongue out at the intruders and hiss. It unwrapped itself and stretched, making a lunge for Zara and Noctis at the head of the group, growling when it missed them both.

            Gladio charged in with his shield up, blocking a swipe meant for Ignis as the target flipped around and threw his knife deep into the side of the beast. It screeched angrily, thrashing down and knocking the advisor to the ground while its heavy serpentine trunk separated him from the group.

            Just as the beast came in for a fatal strike, a shimmer danced in the air. Zara’s magic shielded him from what was almost certain death and the monster recoiled with a scream, flipping and writhing around itself before fleeing into the jungle.

            “It ran away?” Noct shook out his limbs with a confused look. “Demons never run away, even when I use the ring. What’d you do?”

            “They’re afraid of him,” Ignis answered. “We don’t know why. As soon as his essence is exposed they disengage.”

            “I’m not going to ask too many questions,” Prompto said loudly. “The fewer demons we have to fight, the better.”

            “Agreed,” Noct chuckled before sobering as he looked back at the ruins. “So that’s where we’re headed?”

            “Indeed,” Zara said sadly. “It pains me to see it like this, but such is the effect of time it would seem.”

            “One thing though,” Prompto piped in as they started climbing. “Why do all the Solheim ruins gotta have so many _stairs_? I know for a _fact_ you guys had the tech to put in an elevator like Costlemark’s traps.”

            “Oh we could have, assuredly, but that would lessen the imposing figure, don’t you think?”

            “So we get to trudge out a workout for the sake of two-thousand-year-old _aesthetic_ ,” Prompto groaned. “Great.”

            They were panting by the time they reached the top. Heavy onyx doors with purple filigree stood closed and Ignis couldn’t see a handle anywhere. Gladio marched up and pushed against them, growling when they didn't budge. Zara swept past him, brushing his fingers along the design.

            They gasped as the purple stone shifted and red veins appeared in the rock before the door creaked open on its ancient hinge, a billow of dust furling out as the temple was disturbed after its centuries of rest.

            “In we go,” Ignis murmured as he and Zara crossed the threshold. The black stone was inlaid with purple and red segments, each strand glowing in the dark bright enough to guide their way. Two halls branched off the main room, causing a pause.

            “Which way?” Noct asked.

            “I… don’t know,” Ignis said, turning to look at Zara. “We just saw the temple.”

            “I suppose we pick one and find out,” the redhead said, making way for the passage on the left.

               _“Den eínai aftí igh kaéfthynci.”_ A beam fell from the ceiling and clattered against the wall as the lights in the hallway flickered out.

               “I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that’s not where we were supposed to go,” Prompto deadpanned as he turned towards the only other option.

               They wandered down the glowing halls, turning where able, going up and down flights of stairs, and backtracking when debris cut off their path. Sometimes they would turn into an offshoot that seemed safe enough only for the ground to rumble before the voice returned and the light vanished.

               “She’s really taking us by the hand,” Ignis remarked as they entered an area where three sets of balconies and pathways stacked on top of each other.

               “She most likely tires of waiting,” the ginger replied.

               The most nerve-wracking part of the temple was not the eerie silence or haunting lights guiding them through. It wasn’t the sudden clatter of beams and debris as a room caved in either. No, the worst part was the bit they’d all silently agreed not to mention too often.

               Demons were watching them.

               From the darkest parts of the shadows and swathed in magenta light atop the black stone balconies, perched on top of carved pillars and crouching low to the ground, demons were gathering more and more the deeper they went. The creatures kept their distance, scuttling away whenever the group came too close, and disappearing altogether when a weapon was poised in their direction.

               “What are they waiting for?” Noct mumbled from his place by Ignis’s side as they walked through the vaulted room.

               Ignis turned his blades over in his hands. “I don’t know, but it puts me on edge.”

               “I feel them,” Zara added. “There are many more than what we see. It's strange… they’re almost… familiar.”

               A wave of purple miasma pooled in front of them, and the redhead hissed as the bird-like demon from before appeared, keeping just out of reach as the group collectively charged. It neatly dodged each attempted blow, its tentacles hovering just above the ground. It made something niggle in the back of his mind. The creature was here, close up, but something was still off… Another missed strike and he had it.

               The demon wasn’t attacking them.

               Ignis stopped his attacks and watched as the beast slid out of the way, effortlessly avoiding the weapons and their wielders. It seemed the others were catching on too, taking several steps back and waiting for the thing to make a move.

               _“Ime?”_ it asked, looking at Ignis once the battle had faded. “ _Aism?”_ It paused again. “ _Mingeng?”_ Pause. _“Nahem?”_ Noct cast him a look. _“Name?”_ All eyes snapped back to the floating demon, its feathered head tilting to the side. _“Name?”_ it repeated, sidling closer to the advisor.

               “Neveen,” he lied, testing the beast.

               _“Neveen,”_ the demon copied. _“We were told you would come. Two who bear the mark. Two who bear Igris.”_ At the mention of the name, the sigil imprinted on Ignis’s skin tingled and burned. A small hiss told that Zara was feeling it within his own emblem as well. _“My Lady waits for you beyond, O Chosen ones.”_ And with that, the beast disappeared.

“The fuck?” Noct said eloquently once it was gone.

               “The only way is forward,” Zara observed. “Shall we continue?”

               Mumbled agreements had them crossing what was left of the room, Zara’s magic needed once again to unseal the door on the other side. It swung open to reveal another long, tall hallway. The colored lights fed into patterns along the walls that were different from what they had seen thus far. They twisted and looped, drawing Ignis’s eyes as they entered until the pattern clicked in his mind. They were walking in a hall with runes hidden over and over again in the carved stone walls.

              "I've never been back here before," Zara softly admited. 

               As they moved forward deeper into the hall, a low hiss thrummed from somewhere up above. A shimmering purple haze cut through the group, leaving Ignis and Zara on one side, Noct and the others on the opposite. Zara futilely took a few swipes at the barrier, growling in frustration when it didn't give, his blows only leaving tiny crimson ripples to dance across its surface.

            “Drat,” Ignis breathed, noting the horrified look on Noct’s face. “Nobody panic, we’ll figure this out.”

The two of them walked cautiously further down, the glowing runes casting uneasy light onto the black stones. About halfway, they shared a look. Nothing. As they continued, Ignis kept repeating himself softly in his mind. _Don’t panic. Don’t panic._ He tossed a glance back towards the blockade, and Noct’s concerned expression beyond. The sound of grinding stones erased any sense of comfort his words may have brought. A bit of proper terror teased at him as the ground started to shake, the sound growing louder by the second.

            “Ignis,” Zara said, looking down the hall. “Ignis!”

            The blond followed his gaze towards the far end of the rock path, where block by block, the ground was sinking away. As though being noticed spurred the trap, the tiles started dropping faster and faster, one after the other as the pair turned tail.

            “Noct,” he called, whirling around to sprint back the other direction. The stones were falling fast, much too fast for them to outrun.

            He could see the group beating to break the violet and rose-colored barrier, knowing full well it would never wear down in time. One more step and the tile underneath him didn’t hold his weight.

            The dark echoed with the sound of Noctis calling his name as they fell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What happens next? Any guesses? you know... the three of you who actually talk to me lol.


	37. 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so the plot thickens.

            Noctis was running down the hall in front of him, the moonlight casting shadows where the young prince cut its path short.

            “Come on Iggy,” he whispered urgently as he waited for the older child to catch up. “We gotta hurry! Who knows how long it’ll be until Cor realizes we’re not sleeping.”

            “We should be careful, Noct,” the eleven-year-old said back quietly. “We’ll get in trouble if we’re caught.”

            “So don’t get caught, duh,” was the response.

            Ignis dutifully followed after his charge, pointing out places where they could hide as the guards wandered the halls on patrol. It felt like ages, but at last they pushed open the heavy door leading to the wide rooftop garden, where the young advisor to be could feel his breath be stolen away. The stars were bright tonight, even through the wall, and the younger boy was practically jumping up and down with excitement as they snuck out onto the roof for an unobstructed view.

            Cor and King Regis would be furious if they were to find out of course, but in the moment, Ignis couldn’t be bothered to care. Here, under the stars Noctis hadn’t been permitted to view in the many months since returning from Tenebrae after his injury, nothing else mattered. He was to be Noctis’s most trusted companion one day, and while he was excited to help the would-be king with matters of state, he’d pride himself on helping him with feelings too. Noct would never admit it, not in a million years, but Ignis could tell how much the younger boy had been missing going outside, especially at night.

            So maybe Ignis was breaking the rules, but if he couldn’t make exceptions for the wellbeing of the kingdom’s future ruler then he wasn’t much of an advisor, and even less of a friend.

            “Look,” the young prince said excitedly, pointing up at the sky. “The stars are falling!”

            “We should make a wish,” Ignis suggested with a giggle. “That’s what Cor’s stories say about falling stars.”

            “I wish we could stay out here and have fun forever!” Noct’s eyes were shining out from under his bangs and bedhead, cheerful in a way Ignis hadn’t seen in a long time.

            “I wish that too,” the blond said, getting a playful push on the shoulder as his royal friend perched himself on one of the benches and pulled Ignis into joining him to count how many pinpricks of light were showering from the sky.

            “Ignis?” Noct asked, but suddenly the older boy felt his body stiffen, trapped looking up at the stars. “Ignis?” Try as he might, no sound or movement escaped.

            The stars started falling faster, swirling around in the sky until they struck against the wall, shattering it to pieces.

            “Ignis!”

            That was Noctis, he was sure… but it sounded far too old. A fiery star fell through the broken crystal remains of the shield over the city, hurling straight for the duo in the skyline garden.

            _“Ignis!”_ Things went black just before it struck.

            The advisor started, the debris and rubble shifting around him as he jerked awake. Tremors ran through him as his mind struggled to catch up and sort through what was real and what was a dream. He tilted his head up just in time to get a few larger pebbles dropped onto his face from the concaved stone above.

            Dread settled in the pit of his stomach as he remembered what had happened, the barrier, the trap, Noctis panicking as Ignis and Zara fell…

            And where was he now? He brushed some of the dirt and debris from his hair and eyes, looking through the dimly lit area as well as he could. Despite the lack of illumination, he could tell one thing right off the bat- Zara wasn’t here with him. They must have been separated when the floor gave out. He brushed his fingers lightly over the shifty ground in front of him, trying to decide where would be best to place his feet when a purple-reddish glow pulsed from somewhere to his right before fading away again.

            It flashed again as he made his way over on his hands and knees, having to lay down on his stomach halfway and army crawl under a segment of low lying stone to reach his destination. There, partially covered by the dust and broken rock, was a golden rune inlayed in the tiles of the floor. It flashed once more as Ignis reached out to touch it before the light died.

            The advisor looked around with a curse, anxiety tightening in his chest before another pop of color appeared from the other side of some of the wreckage ahead. Every few seconds it would build to shine through the gaps in the damaged structure before fading away, leading Ignis through the nooks and crannies to where another sigil was carved into the path. This continued for another three segments until the light grew and began to bubble instead of diminishing. With a shrill giggle, an imp appeared from the miasma, swinging itself around on some of the wreckage before fixing Ignis with its gaze.

            _“You are not Him, so you must be the Other,”_ the demon laughed airily. _“The Lady awaits you. Follow Mithias, Mithias will show you the way!”_

            Ignis hesitated for a moment, looking back at the carnage from the collapse before huffing a sigh and following the excitable creature around the corner at the end of the shadowy hall. A flick of his fingers had one of his daggers settled in his palm, making him feel less uneasy about following a demon into the dark. Only here, under such strange circumstances would that _ever_ be a probability, he was sure.

            _“Look,”_ the imp, Mithias, said as it pointed to the illustrations on the wall covered by a fine layer of dust. _“Humans love to look. All humans do is look, but only you and He were invited to come and see.”_

The mural was one Ignis had seen countless times since being brought together with Noctis, or at least it started that way. There was the traditional depiction of the Gods blessing the King of Kings, as was often shown in the covers of the Cosmogony books, but where that had been a sole artistic rendering, this continued on. It showed the King administering to his people for several yards. Ignis followed the line to another section where the Gods had returned, giving a blessing to someone who, based on the picture, was meant to be connected to the King. Ignis assumed it was the Oracle.

            The following three sections showed the King and Oracle moving about to heal the sick and guide those seeking council. Why this had never been copied over into the Cosmogony was beyond Ignis, until they came around a bend in the wall where a third, massive mural was displayed.

            The top portion clearly showed Ifrit and a being of darkness, presumably a demon, their hands cupped together and brimming with liquid fire and ash that dripped from the cracks of their fingers down to the earth where it blossomed into a different, smaller version of the fiery Astral reaching back up towards the heavens. Several panels below the main design showed this miniature God acting as what the advisor assumed to be an obstruction between demons and the groups of humans the King and Oracle were trying to help.

            _“This,”_ Mithias said echoingly, _“Was the first attempt at Divine Accordance to bring peace.”_

            Ignis found himself taking several steps back, jumping with a yelp when his shoulders connected with something to soft to be a wall and too tall to be the imp. The small demon giggled as Zara reached out to steady him, an identical creature twining around the redhead’s legs before zipping off to join its pair near an overhang on the far wall.

            “Never thought my birth would be plastered out on the wall for everyone to see,” he mumbled, clearly ill at ease. “Although I’m glad to see you. If I had to listen to that thing ramble on for another minute I would have snapped.”

            _“Is that a promise?”_ The demons snickered from their place.

            “Enough,” Zara barked. “We followed you, now its your turn. What’s going on? Why were we called here?”

            _“The Lady will give answers, but you should already know them,”_ one said.

            _“A failing of the priests that you even need to wonder,_ ” the other laughed. _“And even more a shame when its written on the walls and you cannot read.”_

_“Just look,”_ said the first tracing its claws along the stone. _“You stood so strongly with your people.”_

“My people?” His brows creased and the imps laughed again, their mirth causing the light to flicker as it was affected by their distraction. One of the demons crawled up to the overhand where two columns of filigree twisted up to the slanted ceiling.

            _“You are of us,”_ the creature said from the shadows, its purple eyes glinting in the dark. _“A Shadrin, a child of Twil.”_

            _“You are the best of us,”_ the other added, joining its companion. _“Lord of neither Dawn nor Dusk.”_

            _“The fires in the night,”_ the first smiled twirling around the pillars.

            _“The shadows of the day,”_ the second remarked as it scampered over the rocks.

            _“A Noble of The Veil,”_ they echoed. _“Champion of the Glowing Shadows. Favored son of both polar realms.”_ The imps wheeled together to look down from the small cliff outcropping. _“Blessed, sings this the greatest Night of Nights, for the Prince of Twilight has come home.”_

_“But no more can we say,”_ lilted the one on the left.

            _“The rest shall be revealed by our Lady’s pleasure,_ ” agreed the one on the right.

            _“She waits just beyond. Do not keep the Lady waiting.”_

            And just as strangely as they had appeared, the imps vanished in a swirl of blackish- purple miasma.

            “Wait!” Zara called after them, fumbling as they vanished. “That doesn’t answer all my…questions…”

            “Prince of Twilight?” Ignis questioned.

            “That’s not a title I’m familiar with,” the redhead sighed. “Although it is possible it’s in the last of my journals I’ve not yet had the opportunity to skim through.”

            “It would seem to fit with our luck as of late,” the advisor huffed as he pulled himself up over the ledge before turning to help the ancient. “We should hurry and figure out what this is all about and get back to Noct and the others. I fear what may be happening now that you are not there to dissuade the demons.”

            “Something is off here,” Zara said shaking his head. “I’m as eager to be done as any with this strangeness, but I doubt the others are in danger. The demons didn’t seem to care about attacking us once we were inside the temple itself. These ones even went out of their way to help lead us.”

            “And yet,” Ignis murmured, brushing his hair out of his face, “I find that doesn’t comfort me.”

            “I’d be worried if it did,” Zara admitted, taking point as they slid through the narrow space between what used to be doors at the back of the outcropping. The other side held nothing but a set of crumbling stone steps leading in a spiral even further into the deep, an unnatural breeze stirring from the depths to tease at their hair and clothing. “Down once more?”

            “After you,” Ignis agreed, rubbing his hands over his arms in a fight against the icy air.

            Zara teased fire to the edges of his fingers and Ignis cast some along the blade of his dagger. It responded a bit more violently than he’d intended, sparking along the blade and jumping high to singe the edges of his messy hair. His cry of surprise echoed loudly down the steps, whirling in to endless coils for what felt like forever, prompting Zara to cast him a look, but the more he tried to quell it the larger the flame danced.

            “You’re tugging on the Nexus too much,” Zara said irritably, snatching away the dagger and extinguishing the light on its blade with a flick of his wrist. “You can’t pull from me the same way as you do from Noctis, and I’d prefer you not try whilst we’re in the middle of something important with no one to help should things go sour.”

            “Apologies,” he mumbled, feeling thoroughly cowed. “I wasn’t expecting any change. I didn’t even realize I was using something other than the Armiger or my own skill.”

            “This place has been playing games with my mind ever since we arrived. I should be the one to apologize. Stress has its hand on me, but I did not mean to chide,” the redhead said, softening his tone. “Let’s just keep moving and be done with it.”

            And with that to the side for the moment, they shared a glance over the edge into the spiraling abyss that seemed to go on forever. Well, it was as the imps said wasn’t it? The Lady was waiting, so with a nod the duo set a clipping fast pace down ever further into the dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We apologize for the delay, Ky has been admitted to the hospital again and unable to use her hands so all updates are being dictated then uploaded which is why things have been taking so long. We really appreciate you guys waiting patently though. Ky sends all her love with this little update!
> 
> -That One Ravus Cosplay Dude


	38. 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back again with a new update!

           There was no end. The stairs wound deeper and deeper into the earth, and Ignis was sure that if they went any further they’d fall into the molten core of the star itself. Zara seemed to be tiring of the endless spiral as well, stopping for a moment to catch his breath before they continued the plunge.

           “We must be close to the end,” he panted softly. “Or else we’ll soon be popping up on the other side of the world.”

            Ignis offered a chuckle at that, his own legs shaking with exertion.

            “Don’t get too relieved,” the blond said. “We’ll have to climb back up when we’re finished here.”

            Zara heaved a sigh, leaning back onto the short stone wall that acted as the railing for the stairwell, a loud crack resounding through the empty space as the redhead started to fall into the void in the middle.

            Before Ignis could move to catch him, purple tendrils snaked out from the rock and formed a net under him, leaving him bouncing confusedly as he was suspended.

            _“The stones are not as strong as you may remember, my Little One,”_ a voice echoed. _“This place is old, older than even you or I, and it bears the weaknesses of the mortal world.”_

            Black and purple miasma started to seep up from the floor again, twisting around Ignis’s legs and pulling higher until it consumed them entirely. When it cleared, the stairwell was gone and the pair found themselves in a large room paved with glistening black tiles and deep purple embellishments leading up to a massive dais.

            A woman was draped across a massive ornate seat at the top of the onyx steps, her dark hair billowing down in waves to her hips. A set of black ram horns twisted back by her sharply pointed ears and her vibrant purple eyes pierced into Ignis’s very soul.

            “You come home, at last, my child,” she smiled chillingly. “We have waited for you.”

            “I’m afraid I don’t remember you,” Zara said, slowly getting up off the ground to stand by Ignis’s side.

            “I’m not surprised,” she said. “You were kept from me, as well as your father. You needed to grow independent of our influences- with only your nature to shape you. I’d say you turned out quite well. You’ve exceeded all hopes, even from me.”

            “And you are who, exactly?”

            “Lilith, your patron of the night.”

            “Patron?”

            “Ifrit is akin to your father, as I am akin to your mother.”

            “I was born by Ezania, Priestess of Shiva.”

            “She is the mother of your physical form, yes. But _I_ am half the formation of your spirit. You are made of my darkness and Ifrit’s light, a divine soul in a mortal vessel. And now, after eons in solitude, you have returned to us.”

            _“Blessed be the Prince of Twilight,”_ came the snickering laugh as the two imps scampered up the steps.

            “You’ve already met Mithias and Tar’nok, naturally,” Lilith smiled, dropping a hand to pet one of the smaller demons’ head as they curled up around her chaise. “They’ve been most anxious for you to arrive; working endlessly these past days to make sure everything was in place.”

            “And yet,” Ignis said, finally joining the conversation. “We still don’t know why we’re here.”

            “Yes.” The slight mirth faded from her lips. “You are here because Twil requires aid, and you have volunteered to assist.”

            “I’ve no recollection of volunteering to help demons,” Ignis replied.

            “We are not demons,” she said icily. “We are Shadrin, the children of Twilight. You agreed to offer us aid when you vowed to serve the Gods in exchange for the King of Kings. The only demons that roam this world are the ones created by the Accursed. He takes from both Twil and Eos, twisting souls to his desire and stripping them of their will.”

            “That’s why we weren’t attacked when we entered the temple,” Zara said. “They aren’t demons at all, they’re something else.”

            “And they have waited a very long time for you to return,” Lilith said, standing. “It is a sign of hope amid our people. If the King of Kings had risen as originally planned by the Astrals, not only would the Accursed and his demons be swept into oblivion, but the Shadrin would be decimated as well- throwing the world into ruin. For the Astrals’ power would destroy all creatures of the night, indiscriminately.”

            “Why would the Gods want to destroy you if you aren’t demonic?”

            “They could see no other design,” the elder said sadly, motioning for them to follow as she led them down a series of halls. “They, for the most part, are beings of light. As such they do not understand in full how darkness is intrinsically tied to the world. As with the Astral deaths causing light to fade, death to the Shadrin hierarchy would result in the opposite. Without us, the day would never give way to night. The sun would never set, the moon would not pull the tide, the mixture of hot and the absence cold would not create weather patterns. The heat of the day-star would bake the earth until nothing remained but a parched world unfit for sustaining life.”

            “I can see how that might cause concern,” Zara said lamely. “But what are we to do?”

            “You are to do as you were made to,” Lilith said, pushing open a door to reveal a long slanting tunnel. “You are Zara, the Prince of Twilight, Heir of Ifrit. And you,” she continued, turning to look at the advisor as the floor beneath them began to rise, like a stone escalator. “You are Ignis, a servant to both men and Gods, He Who Changes Fate. The Astrals are not fools, they know their plan brings death to my people, but they are capable of creating no other way to stop the Accursed. With you two, however, we may have a chance to prove them wrong.”

            The stones stopped sliding as they reached the top of the slanted shaft, torches bursting to life as they entered the large room at the top. Barred cages lined with runes set side by side against the walls, easily equaling thirty in total. Demons (or Shadrin? How did one tell the difference?) thrashed inside the metal confines, the markings glowing red when one felt brave enough to latch onto the bars to hiss and swipe at them as they walked past.

            “These are demons,” Lilith said with a sweep of her hand. “In most cases, once they become violent like this, they will never be able to revert back to what they once were. But there can be mercy without their deaths.”

            She extended her arm, reaching out to one of the caged beasts without touching it and purple magic danced on her fingertips. The monster shrieks and howled, banging its clawed hands against its confines for several long minutes before it fell still on the ground with a shudder.

            Lilith opened the lock, slowly easing the door to the cage open before wrapping the small demon in her arms as a mark took shape on its skin. The claws shrunk down and the teeth faded from their points, the thing slowly losing more and more of its terrifying features until it looked soft and round like Mithias and Tar’nok.

            It groaned in her hold, twisting itself up in the fabric of her clothes for a moment before it opened its eyes.

            The anger, rage, and bloodthirsty hatred that had been present in its gaze before were gone now, the creature looking up calmly at them before wiggling to freedom and inspecting itself. Soon after Mithias and Tar’nok scampered over and took it by the hand, whispering reassurances as they led it back the way they’d come.

            “Not all of them can be saved, or even need to be. If caught soon enough, they can go back entirely to what they were. That one won’t ever have to suffer under the Accursed’s will again,” Lilith said as they watched them go. “She will never be able to return to a fully human state, but she can live a life among the Twil where she is free to make her own choices, and in time regain some of her form.”

            “So you turn demons into Shadrin,” Zara clarified.

            “Yes, and with a little learning, so could you. Imagine how much it would aid the King of Kings if the Immortal Accursed lost his horde. The more demons become Shadrin, the more people of Twil there are to turn others. You learn to turn one demon to Twil, they in turn change three, those three each turn ten, so on and so forth until the only demon who remains is the one who must die.”

            “We’ll beat Ardyn’s army by making it our own,” Ignis nodded.

            “There are those, of course, who are too far gone to be helped. Eroded under his corruption and unable to be saved, they will be the few who stand with the Accursed until the end- the ones who will share in his grave.” Lilith led them away from the rest of the demons, winding them up a stairwell until they emerged in what Ignis assumed used to be an outdoor garden space in a small courtyard, now thickly overgrown.

            Noctis and the others sat on the ground, looking concerned as a ring of imps pranced around them with shrill giggles and laughter. Once one of the small Shadrin caught sight of Zara however, the circle instantly moved to fawn over the redhead, the mortals all but forgotten.

            “I thought they didn’t like you,” Noct huffed as he got up from the hard earth.

            “They were instructed to keep their distance until introductions had been made,” Lilith cut in. “Now that the groundwork has been laid, they are eager to show our young prince what it means to be Twil.”

            “Prince?” Prompto asked.

            “Zara is counted as part of their hierarchy, it would seem,” Ignis explained.

            “Does that make you the queen, then?” The redhead watched Lilith from inside the ring of small not-demons, waiting for an answer as she laughed.

            “Well, I _am_ your mother, am I not?” She picked up one of the imps from the circle, setting it on her hip as she walked around the garden to sit on an old bench. “And these little ones are your brothers and sisters, in spirit if not by practice.”

            “You’ve just got family crawling out of the woodwork,” Gladio huffed as an imp tugged on his hair playfully.

            “Enough of this,” Lilith said after a few moments. “You must be tired. Take time to rest and then I’ll teach you how to perform the turn. Once that is done you are free to come and go as you please.”

            “Mithias will show them the way!” The helpful imp hurried out of the foliage and took Zara by the hand. “Mithias will lead the Prince and his friends to rest, although the Prince could find his own way.”

            “Thank you, my dear,” Lilith smiled from her place on the bench, and offered a small wave as they were taken away.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ky says hi from the hospital, and she hopes you all enjoy!
> 
> -Ky and Rav


	39. 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE MUTHA TRUCKERS GUESS WHO'S FREE FROM THE PRIS- I MEAN HOSPITAL.
> 
> I love y'all and I've missed you! Have a chapter!

            “Does the Prince or his friends have needs?”

            The little imp sat on the end of the bedpost, its tail swishing back and forth like a cat as it watched them settle down in the borrowed room.

            “Um, I think we’ll be alright, thank you Mithias,” Zara smiled and the imp ran off to do whatever imps did when not being controlled by a monster.

            “Where do you think they got beds that weren’t crumbling to bits?” Prompto poked the edge of one mattress, confirming it wouldn’t collapse beneath him before sitting down.

            “Lilith said they’d been preparing for days. Maybe they had time with the longer nights to go out and scavenge,” Zara answered, moving to stand by the window. “It’s eerie though, standing here like I have so many times before and yet it’s all so different.”

            “So you’re familiar with this part of the temple?” Noct said, abandoning his quest to investigate every nook and cranny of this new place. “If we needed to bolt you’d be able to lead?”

            “My old room is just down the hall,” Zara nodded. “I can find my way just about anywhere from here, provided that the hallways all remain intact.”

            “Can I see your room?” Prompto asked animatedly. “Does it have cool knickknacks from when you were a kid?”

            “Well, I haven’t been here in two thousand years, so I wouldn’t know,” Zara chuckled. “But I was hoping to get a chance to see how much they’ve changed. Care to join me while I look around?”

            “Uh, _yeah_!!”

            “I’m tagging along,” Gladio declared, moving from his spot against the wall. “Too much sitting around makes me nervous.”

            “The more the merrier,” Zara hummed, ushering them out, leaving only Ignis and Noctis in their borrowed quarters.

            The prince was quick to move towards his advisor, slipping his hand into the blond’s and pressing their foreheads together.

            “What have we gotten into Iggy?” he breathed after a moment. “Demons that aren’t demons, guys who are half Astral… when will the craziness end?”

            “I’m becoming an ensign of the Gods. Not to mention you’re the King of Kings, the nephew of evil incarnate, your aunt is Ravus’s lost- and subsequently declared dead- lover now revived, and you’re cousins with said god-offspring, who is also half not-demon. I’d say we’d best get used to the unusual.”

            Noctis chuckled at that, shaking his head before pressing a soft kiss to his advisor’s lips.

            “It just all seems so… crazy,” the raven continued. “I’m glad you’re here though. It was… really hard… when you were gone.”

            “So you’ve said. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you.”

            “It wasn’t your fault,” Noct cut in. “I know it wasn’t. The guys know that too, but it didn’t make things any easier. For any of us. You should have seen Prompto,” he chuckled. “He went on for days trying to take over you mother hen attitude after you di-… after you left. It was always ‘where are you going?’ and ‘who are you with?’ and picking for every little detail. Gladio wasn’t much better…” He faded off, shifting around to put his head over Ignis’s heart.

            “I don’t know what to say,” Noct sighed after a moment. “At first we tried to pick up and soldier on like we did after Insomnia… but it didn’t work very well. I think as soon as it seeped in that you were gone- _dead_ and never coming back… we all broke a little inside. The day we buried you will scar me forever, I’m sure.”

            “Noct,” Ignis sighed. He didn’t want to make his beloved think of sad times. He started to pull away, moving to console the younger man.

            “Don’t,” he said, clinging tighter to his shoulders. “I… I think I need to say this.”

            “Okay,” Ignis murmured, drawing close once again.

            “I tried so hard to make you look nice, you know,” Noctis said into the blond’s neck. “We found a little stream and did our best to wash off the blood and dirt and stuff. I washed your hair and combed it back like your uncle used to do his. I would have tried to spike it like you liked to, but I was worried I’d mess it up and I didn’t want you to look silly.” While his voice remained relatively even, Ignis could feel the slight tremor in his limbs- betraying the emotion his voice did not.

            “Your crownsguard uniform got beat up in the fight, so Prompto helped me put you in your slacks with the white pinstripe shirt and suspenders you would wear to meetings. He even shined your shoes. Then we laid you out all nice and helped Gladio finish digging a spot on top of a ridge near the river. We thought you might like the view. And then,” he continued, his voice cracking. “Then we tied the crest over your eyes like all soldiers get, but I couldn’t let you go. I couldn’t put you down and leave everything you were behind. So I took off your necklace and put it in the Armiger, because it was the only thing I could think to take, and it hurt so much to look at it and remember you were gone, but I couldn’t just _leave_ you there- I couldn’t- I had to- I-”

            “It’s alright, Noct,” Ignis said, tightening his hold even further as the prince dissolved into tears in his arms. “It’s over. I’m here.”

            “I thought you were gone forever, Iggy. I thought,” he hiccupped. “I thought I’d have to face it all alone.”

            “As long as this world spins,” Ignis said seriously, pulling back to cup Noctis’s face and look him in the eyes. “I swear to you this- nothing- be it magic, or mayhem, or even _death_ \- nothing will be enough to stop me. I will _always_ come back to you. Always.”

            “If I have my way,” Noct muttered. “We’ll never be parted in the first place.”

***

            “Now, it is not so simple as a wave of the hand,” Lilith said as she perched on her dais. “There will be a toll on your body, as well as your mind. But such is the way of power. To begin, you must be able to see what cannot be seen.”

            Ignis and Zara knelt on the stone floors, breathing deeply as they stared at the two demons in cages before them. Zara seemed to twitch every few seconds, his fidgeting distracting the mortal by his side.

            “Do not focus on the appearance, Zara,” Lilith chided, catching on to the redhead. “What they look like is not the main concern. You aren’t here to look at them; you are here to _see_ them.”

            “I’m trying,” the ginger scowled, flicking his hair over his shoulder before focusing on the cage once more. After a moment his fingers started drumming on his thighs, betraying his impatience before he broke away again.

            “It will take time, Zara. The first turn is always the hardest.” Lilith stood, walking gracefully down the steps to stand behind her pupils. “You are both too tense. Take a while to collect your thoughts and relax. We will try again at the top of the hour.”

            Mithias and Tar’nok moved to drop the covers over the cages, slightly calming the troubled demons within before ushering the pair of men to the other side of the room.

            The demon they had encountered when first arriving at the temple uncoiled as they were pushed in its direction.

            “ _Zara,_ ” it nodded to the redhead. “ _Neveen_ ,” it gestured to Ignis. “ _Time will aid your efforts.”_

“His name isn’t Neveen,” Zara huffed, setting himself down on the small set of steps towards the door. “It’s Ignis, and I’m still rather cross with you, so kindly don’t speak.”

            _“You are cross for my faults? I did my best, although men are fallible at the best of times.”_

            “No, I’m cross because you beat me into a bloody pulp and I never got to return the favor.”

_“I was… asleep. Performing actions that were not my own- acting on a will that was not from myself. Seeing you- sensing you for what you are- it woke my spirit again. I was distraught to realize what I had done.”_

            “You thought Zara was angry with you for failing something?” Ignis interjected, earning an unamused look from the ginger. “What could you have failed at that would make him upset?”

            _“I failed to protect him as I should have when the Accursed came to take him away. I fought, but failed, and he has lived his life in solitude since then- those who stood by me to defend him earned the ire of immortal hatred. Now, we are here- infinitely bound by the oaths we made as humans, and eternally unable to fulfill them.”_

“Oaths?” Ignis questioned, missing the wide-eyed gaze Zara was watching them with.

            _“The Oaths of Ifrit,”_ the demon answered. “ _Those solemn vows every priest must swear before taking on a mantle at the temple.”_

            “You were meant to protect me,” Zara said shakily, boring holes into the ground with his stare. “You were…”

            “Brother Curantis had been beyond reach for several years after you were taken from us,” Lilith said as she joined them. “I did what I was able to, but magic only goes so far with unwilling minds. Your return was what truly solidified his change to Twil.”

            _“I have yet to revert. Hopefully, it is not beyond me after so many eons in this form.”_

“I need to go,” Zara said, suddenly standing and heading for the door. “Please… excuse me.”

            Lilith and what remained of Brother Curantis stayed behind as Ignis rushed after him, chasing the ginger around several twists and turns until the half- Astral collapsed in the garden area and promptly began to vomit into the overgrown bushes.

            “The bird is Curantis,” he wheezed in between bouts. “That Six damned bird is _Curantis_! And he said… the others… oh Gods,” he turned and heaved again for several minutes, Ignis stepping in to pull his hair back and out of the way. “That’s why they seemed so familiar when we got here.” The man wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, tears resting unshed on his lashes. “They’re the priests- all of them, they’re all priests that Ardyn turned for protecting me.”

            “But they can turn back with Lilith’s help.”

            “No,” Zara said, fixing Ignis with a determined stare. “They’ll come back because _I’m_ going to help them. Because _we_ are going to help them!”

            “Then we should get back in there and learn how,” the mortal said, pulling the other to his feet. “We start with your friends, then every other soul Ardyn has taken from someone who loved them.”

            “And at the end, we rend him into oblivion,” Zara stated.

            And with that, he stalked back to their impromptu training ground, Ignis following in his wake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Noct & Co + Zara & Pals = Ardyn is gonna be royally screwed
> 
> God I've missed writing on this <3


	40. 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As one thing ends, another begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IVE MISSED YOU GUYS!!! THANKS FOR STICKING AROUND SO LONG <3

            It took three days before Zara changed a demon, Ignis following shortly after. The imps had been tough to tackle, the energy output leaving both men drained and weary.

            The Nagas were worse though.

            The snake-like demons were larger, and subsequently harder to control long enough to break Ardyn’s hold over them. But Ignis could feel all the irritation of his low magic threshold melt away when they turned over one last time and the forms of two mostly-human women emerged, crying quite heavily as they thanked them.

            And that was what it was about, wasn’t it?

            Lilith tutted over the newly rescued duo, saying something about taking care of the scales left swooping down their necks until they dissolved. Soon after, Mithias and Tar’nok gently led them away to rest.

            After changing a multitude of demons, the Twil leader declared they were done for the day.

            “Go back to your friends,” she commanded softly. “You’ve earned some much-needed rest.”

            Neither of them had the heart to argue with her.

            It felt like an eternity before Ignis’s feet carried him out to the makeshift training yard a few of the stronger Twills had cleared for the King of Light and his shield to use as a sparring ground.

            “You’re back early,” Noct said, brushing the hair and sweat out of his eyes as he dismissed his training gear, Gladio and Prompto doing the same soon after. “Lilith finally getting bored of you two?”

            “More like she worries she’ll bring us to the brink of utter collapse,” Ignis sighed as he slowly sank onto a makeshift bench. “I could sleep for a week and still wake tired.”

            “As could I,” Zara groaned, flopping out into the dirt. He gave a soft smile when a small twill, no bigger than a rabbit, ran from out of the brush to play with his long red hair.

            “How about a nap before dinner then?” The group perked up at Noctis’s suggestion, save for Gladio who fixed the young king with a firm stare. The Shield was outnumbered though, and so with much ado, the group clamored to its feet and made way for their borrowed rooms.

            “Did you make any progress?” Noct asked, gently sliding their hands together as they walked.

            “I’ve managed to turn thirteen Twil this time,” the advisor answered with a tired grin. “Zara handled six more than I.”

            “You saved thirty-two people today,” Noct expressed with pride. “Look at you; you’re getting the hang of this whole ‘ensign of the Gods’ thing.”

            “How much longer do you think Lilith will want you guys to stay?” Prompto cut in from in front.

            “I’m not sure, but realistically we’ve already stayed longer than we probably should have,” Zara answered. “But let’s worry about that after we’ve rested a while.”

            “Agreed,” the others chuckled in unison, opening the door and promptly collapsing onto their respective beds and sleeping well into the night.

***

            There wasn’t really a concept of “dawn” when one was stuck under a mountain, in truth there wasn’t a concept of “dawn” much anywhere anymore, but the Twil made sure to light fires throughout the ancient temple when the travelers should be up. The orange and yellow glow was cast all about through the ruins, slowly bringing the group out of sleep and into a new day.

            “Did the young Seer sleep well?”

            Ignis jumped at the sound of Tar’nok at the foot of the mattress, in turn causing Noctis to mumble in his sleep beside him.

            “Forgive me,” the imp snickered. “I did not mean to scare you. My Lady Lilith waits for you and the Prince in the main hall. She bids you come at once. It is urgent.”

            The blond looked over to where Mithias was trying to rouse the redheaded demigod, eventually grinning in victory as amber eyes blinked slowly open from under his bedhead. The two were pulled from their beds as the impish guides led them through the halls by the hand. Ignis ran a hand down his face as they neared their destination, lamenting the fact that he’d not bothered to grab his sunglasses. True he didn’t need a prescription anymore, but catching the milky white glaze over his eyes in a reflection still threw him for a loop, not to mention when others saw him.

            There was no time to fuddle over it, however, as they rounded the corner into the main hall to see a hulking beast of an iron giant. The runes had been cast on the floor, the creature contained despite its displeasure, and a chill ran down Ignis’s spine. A quick look had him thinking Zara was of the same mind.

            “This one is surprisingly strong set,” Lilith said from where she panted slightly in the corner. “I cannot change it alone. You two will help me.”

            “Naturally,” Zara said softly, eyeing the beast.

            “Just tell us what you need,” Ignis agreed.

            “I will give energy, but you two must guide it.” She pushed off of the wall, moving to take her place beside them. “You know what to do.”

            The men shared a look, quietly agreeing that Zara would take point as they prepared to link.

            The magic was strange. It was so very different from Noctis’s, but Ignis found that it answered him more readily every time he called. He was doing in days what it had taken him years to learn from the crownsguard and glaives. The string tying him into Zara’s Nexus hummed as they pulled, Ignis doing his best to recreate the feeling from yesterday.

            Feel the vibration.

            Feel where they ended, and the demon began.

            Feel the soul trapped under the clouded layer of darkness.

            And weep when they could feel there was not enough left to save.

            “What do we do?” Zara asked sadly, his connection thrumming all the harder as emotion choked his voice.

            “We end their misery,” his mother said sadly. “If we cannot give them a free life, then we will give them a peaceful death. Let me lead.”

            The magic shifted inside Ignis as he felt the two change places. It mellowed out, the beating pulse becoming a gentle hum, and as he watched the giant, tears gathered in his eyes. The creature swayed, its iron-like skin catching in the light as it groaned. Slowly, it was lulled to its knees, then down to its side, until it was fully collapsed in the rune circle. He could feel the part of Ardyn washing away under Lilith’s gentle ministrations, leaving the soul underneath free for its last moments of life.

            A sound akin to tearing metal echoed softly through the room, unintelligible and grating on the nerves, but to those three who could see her for what she was, the iron giant’s last words were clear.

            _“Thank you.”_

            The glowing eyes blinked inside the metal helm, once, twice, before closing a third time and not opening again. As miasma pooled in the runes, he could feel her spirit bleed away, and she was no more.

            “I had hoped for a better outcome,” Lilith said sadly. “But when it comes to war, I know not all of us will be saved.”

            “And how will we guide them to peace, like you have today?” Zara asked softly. “I will not leave a soul to suffer.”

            “That is not something I can teach you,” she answered, resting a hand on his shoulder. “You must find it for yourself.”

            The solemn moment was broken as they heard Noctis shouting from somewhere further in the temple, prompting them to run through the few halls between them until Ignis’s eyes settled on his disheveled king, who looked frightened beyond what the advisor had ever seen.

            “Ignis,” the raven half yelled and half sobbed, running up the crumbling steps to throw himself into the other’s arms.

            “What’s wrong?” Ignis asked, pulling away to inspect for injury. “What happened?”

            “You were gone!” Noct cried, burrowing his way back under Ignis’s chin. “You were there, but then I woke up and you were gone, and the bed was cold like you’d never been here at all, and I couldn’t find you. Nobody knew where you were, and Zara was gone too, and I panicked because I thought-“ he hiccupped several times, “- I thought they’d taken you away again. I thought you were _gone_.”

            “I’m here, Noct,” Ignis said, trying to soothe the younger man. “I won’t go anywhere.”

            The rest of their group ran into the room from another entrance, looking relieved to see their charge safely being coddled by his lover. Gladio put a hand on the raven’s shoulder, gently steering him away to sit and breathe for a moment. Ignis didn’t miss the reluctance to let go of the advisor’s hand.

            “Hey,” Prompto said awkwardly as he slid in after Noct was gone. “Just a head’s up- you might want to tell him when you’re going somewhere before he wakes up.”

            “I didn’t realize it would be such a problem,” Ignis sighed.

            “Well yeah, you weren’t here before.” He paused for a moment before catching the elder blond’s confused look. “When you first, uh, _left_ , well Noct had a hard time. He used to have these… episodes, I guess. He’d zone out in his room and start talking to no one, or at least that’s what we thought. But after a while, it got clear that he was talking to _you._ Which, from what I understand, isn’t unusual. Gladio sometimes goes off on his own in the wilds to talk to his dad, it gives him closure I guess, and I take pictures for my parents, but it was really hard for Noct.”

            “I was unaware…”

            “That’s not the big problem though,” Prompto continued. “It started with the talking, but then it got to be more than that. He’d have like, _super vivid_ dreams that you would come back and spend a day with him in Lestallum, just having a good time, and then he’d wake up in the hotel and you were still…”

            “I was still dead,” Ignis finished for him, noting how the gunman flinched at his use of the word everyone else seemed so keen to avoid.

            “I think, even though we’re here in the temple, for him to wake up with you _and_ Zara missing without a trace? It would have put him into that same headspace.”

            “Why wasn’t I told about this before now?”

            “We didn’t think it would matter,” Prompto exclaimed. “You’re back, for reals this time, and you aren’t the type to run off without telling someone, especially Noct.”

            Said king and his Shield were making their way back over to them, the young royal looking exhausted as he curled into Ignis’s side once again.

            “I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Ignis whispered into his ear before gently placing a kiss on his temple. “I promise I’ll be better in the future.”

            Noct simply nodded and pressed in a bit closer.

            “Well, I hate to interrupt,” Lilith said from her place by the door. “But I do think I’ve stolen you from the world at large long enough.” She smoothly made her way into the space, a line of Twill following after her. “The world needs its king,” she smiled. “And the king needs his retainers.”

            Noct pulled away and straightened out his shirt before offering a slight bow.

            “Thank you for helping Ignis, he’s been very pleased with what he’s learned from you,” he said, adopting his courtly tone.

            “The pleasure is mine, O King of Kings. I should thank _you_ for allowing both him and Zara to join us here. I shall continue to hope it will bring us both good fortunes.” She smiled again before turning to Zara and brushing his hair behind an ear. “Wherever you go, Twil goes with you, my Little One. We will scout the land, and bring you information that will assist your cause.”

            “Thank you,” he said reverently, bowing his head.

            “Take care to teach Ignis as you learn,” she instructed. “He’s been sent to help you as much as you are to help them.”

            Mithias and Tar’nok followed after, laying wreaths of woven flowers on their heads as they giggled.

            “These gifts come from Ester and Vanille,” Mithias grinned. “The Nagas you changed yesterday! They wish you well on your journey.”

            “So do we,” laughed Tar’nok, going around the group again and giving them looped bracelets. “These will help Mithias and Tar’nok find the Prince or his friends when we need!”

            “Uh, thank you,” Noct said, twisting the tarnished metal and stones in his hands.

            A few more Twil met them on the way down the steps, singing and laughing as they escorted the group all the way back to the stone tunnel to the outside. They congregated around the opening, Lilith at the center, waving goodbye to their Prince of Twilight, the King of Kings, and their entourage.

            The trek back to the outside was dark and boring, but Noctis smiled as they entered the haven and he dialed the former Commodore Highwind to come to get them. Her airship whirled down next to them as the moon reached its zenith. The bay door dropped to reveal not the Commodore, but Ravus, who flashed them a grin and helped pull them up into the bay as moonlight glinted off his newest limb.

            “Your new apparatus looks stunning,” Ignis remarked as they settled into the hold.

            “Tis a blessing if I’ve ever known one,” the silver-haired man remarked as Biggs and Wedge lifted them into the air, their captain giving only a wave from her place over the monitor screen.

            “Anything interesting happen while we were gone?” Gladio asked.

            “It has been dull, save for a few demons taking advantage of the longer nights. We will need to repair the holding station outside of Longwythe and equip it with better lights if our supplies are to reach the outlying areas of Lucis.”

            “I’ll make arrangements,” Noct nodded.

            The aircraft slowed suddenly, rocking its passengers back and forth as Ravus frowned.

            “Is there a problem, Highwind?”

            “Sensors are picking up human activity in the desert below,” she called back to them. “I’m trying to get a clear view on the surveillance cams.”

            They gathered around, watching as the lenses focused on a singular person stumbling through the sands with something wrapped around them, clearly hurt.

            “Set us down,” Ravus and Noct said in unison, sharing a look afterward.

            “We’ll take them back to Lestallum with us,” Noctis continued.

            The pilots maneuvered them down as the bay door opened, a harsh wind cutting through and hurling sand into the hold. Ignis, Noct, and Ravus quickly ran down the ramp, the king pulling a potion from the Armiger.

            The figure stumbled and fell into the sand, the small blanket they’d been using as a cowl torn away by the howling wind as it grew ever stronger.

            Noctis reached them first, turning them over and gasping, his eyes going wide.

            When Ignis caught up, the advisor understood why.

            “Noctis?” she coughed, her voice sounding weak.

            The young king looked up as Ravus skidded to a halt in the sand before answering.

            “It’s alright, Ezania,” he said. “We’ve got you.”       

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pssst!!!! Come and play in the comments with me! I haven't gotten to talk with some of you guys in over a MONTH!!!


	41. 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when one becomes the harbringer of Chaos?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehehehehehhehehe IM BACK AND UPPING THE ANTE!!
> 
> PLEASE NOTE!!!!! This chapter has a section depicting some rather graphic not-goodness. IE death- so if that bothers you, might just wanna skim the village bit until the dialogue starts up again...

            They huddled together in the hold, pushing the engine of the airship faster and faster as Ezania moved in and out of consciousness. Ravus held her, whispering quiet reassurances in her ear. Noctis’s magic fizzled out on the surface, doing nothing to alleviate her condition.

            Her eyes slid open for a few moments more, dazedly blinking as Zara knelt over her, getting ready to try a magic remedy of his own.

            “ _Sahm?_ ” She muttered the word again, trying weakly to reach out.

            “ _Mothaer,”_ the redhead smiled sadly, taking her hand.

            Another groan echoed in the metal bay as Ezania curled in on herself, pain screwing her features together. Ignis and Zara hissed, the later physically recoiling as something stabbed at the magic in their cores.

            Zara shakily put a hand on her forehead as she started to thrash, wild and erratic. A shimmer cast over her, the magic slowly seeping in as she fell away into unconsciousness once more.

            “The two souls are fighting within,” Zara mumbled sadly as the woman fitfully slept. “Until one gains victory, I fear there is not much more I can do to help her.”

            “Whadda ya think she was doing out there on her own?” Prompto leaned over with a frown as he continued. “Doesn’t make much sense to me.”

            “Whatever she was up to, it would seem her brother was not pleased by it. This has his mark all over it.”

            “We radioed ahead,” Aranea said, peeking out of the cockpit. “Your friends have medical on hand for her.”

            “I don’t know if that will do anything, but at least its worth a shot,” Gladio sighed.

            “She will be well,” Ravus said, pulling her closer. “She must be.”

***

            For the better part of seven days, they waited, each taking a turn to sit with Ravus as they watched for a change. The slow, steady beat of the monitors often lulled the commander to ease and rest at Ezania’s bedside in one of the larger hospital rooms. It was during one of these bouts of tiredness that Ignis and Zara waited with him, the two also weary after several hours of turning Twil earlier in the day. Ignis could feel his eyes growing heavy with each beep until the machine flatlined, the long drawn out sound setting off alarms in his mind and jerking him back from the edge of sleep.

            Ravus started from his chair by the mattress, gasping as the trio locked onto a messy, empty bed, the life-detecting cords lying limply over the side.

            “Where’d she go?” Ignis wondered aloud as Ravus started tearing the sheets off the bed.

            “What are you doing?” Zara exclaimed. “She’s obviously not here!”

            “And neither are her clothes,” Ravus sighed in relief, earning a confused stare from his companions. “When someone turns from the scourge, their garments are left behind.”

            “Which means she’s not a demon,” Zara said. “Then she’s around here somewhere.”

            “Let’s not waste any more time talking then!”

            They darted through the halls, stopping any personnel they crossed paths with until Ignis’s phone started ringing.

            “Noct?” Ignis panted into the receiver as he continued to follow Ravus towards the front of the building. “What do you need?”

            “Cindy just called saying Ezania was bolting down the street, figured you guys would want to know,” his prince answered, sounding equally out of breath. “We’re on our way, but you guys are closer. Towards the overpass.”

            “Understood,” Ignis said before hanging up. “She was spotted eastbound on the main road,” he called up to the commander. “Noct’s on his way to help.”

            “The car is out front,” Ravus answered over his shoulder. “We would be wise to catch her before someone else does.”

            They hadn’t even closed the doors all the way before Ravus was shifting gears and peeling out of the street side parking space, quickly turning towards the main road and punching the gas. Speeding as they were, there was still no sign of the missing woman as they neared the tunnel, the Regalia soon caught up behind them.

            Suddenly, they came to a screeching halt as a wave of purple and black miasma surged up from the road, the failing sun not enough to stop the demon from spawning from behind the black clouds above, the chill of the covered area ideal for them.

            A pair of reapers emerged, one swinging swiftly and lodging its scythe into the wheel well, slamming the Tenebraen’s car against the wall with a screech.

            A blue hiss brought Noctis warping past them, his blade sinking into the demons for a short fight before they died, only for another four to rise. They fought one wave, then another, and another, until the group cleared the bend to see where the Imperial Chancellor stood over a rebel commander, magic dancing on his fingertips as she fought him, slowly losing momentum.

            “Ezania,” Ravus called, his voice echoing. “Don’t listen to him!”

            “Oh dear,” Ardyn sighed dramatically. “You _are_ rather attached to her, aren’t you? Now, as much as I would just _love_ for you two to get to ride off into the sunset together, I’m afraid I’m not done with her just yet. You understand, of course, _family first_ and all that.” He stepped towards them with a sneer. “Oh look, you brought both of my nephews as well, what a charming little family reunion this is turning out to be.”

            “Let her go, Ardyn,” Zara demanded, fury burning in his eyes.

            “Or what? You’ll spark at me? For a child of a god, you really aren’t all that intimidating, boy.” The Accursed paused for a moment, before grinning wickedly. “Ah, why not? If you want her, nephew dear, come and _get_ her.”

            With his words, Ignis and the others were flung back as a purple ward set up between them, encasing the two ancients in its confines. Ezania staggered back, blocked on the other side where she quickly darted out into the slightly stronger light.

            “There’s a little town not too terribly far from here,” Ardyn said conversationally as he and Zara circled one another. “Typically bypassed by most, but I’m sure she’ll be headed that way if you care to give chase, Ravus dear. After all, by everyone else’s account, she’ll be seen as a demon ripe for the slaughter. And I’d simply _hate_ for you to lose her a second time.”

            “Go,” Noctis said with a nod. “We’ll handle things here.”

            Ravus paused only a moment before slipping between one of the many pillars bearing up the tunnel and sliding down the hill to pursue the rebel commander.

            “I admit,” Zara said, summoning his copied version of the Warrior’s Katana. “I’ve longed to deal back a portion of the pain you’ve dealt to me over these many years.”

            “And where is that kitty cat of yours? Does he not wish for a swipe or two? Oh, wait… that’s right. Oh, look at that face. A painful memory? My apologies.”

            “Enough talk,” Zara hissed as he lunged, his target phasing out before the attack could land.

            “Oh my, how sloppy,” Ardyn sighed as he rematerialized, kicking the back of the ginger’s knee and forcing him down. “I know you can do better than _that._ ”

            “You cur,” the half-Astral yelled, whirling around to slash from below, the sharp edge slicing through the Immortal’s sleeve and drawing black blood to the surface.

            “There’s the fire!” Ardyn praised, dodging another trio of attacks. “You _do_ remember all those little things I showed you during your little stay in the beyond.”

            “Shut up,” Zara growled, throwing himself behind another attack, the katana’s blade sliding deep into the Accursed’s side.

            “How can I be silent,” the Immortal crowed, phasing behind the younger man. “when I’m so _proud_ of the darkness you’ve cultivated?”

            He grabbed the ginger by the shoulders, spinning him around and throwing him down before summoning red shards into a massive scythe, swirling in down and tutting as he missed Zara by mere inches, the target rolling away.

            “This has been fun, my boy, but alas, I do have plans for the day that can’t be put off much longer. So let’s get this settled, eh?”

            “Hold still and I’ll gladly finish you off,” Zara snarked back.

            “I had a different idea, I thought it worked rather well with your bespectacled friend before the Oracle intervened,” Ardyn laughed, magic rolling off him and darkness staining his face. Zara darted behind a pillar as the blast gave out, purple destruction trailing in its wake, the source following his target around the stone support.

            Zara choked out a gasp as Ardyn rounded the pillar and drove his blade, the very blade that had killed Lady Lunafreya and threatened Noct, straight into the redhead’s heart. There was a sick squelch as it was pulled free, its victim crumbling to the earth. Ignis fought against the barrier between them, pushing at the purple haze of magic in a desperate attempt to reach his friend, all the while knowing there was no way to save him.

            A brutal kick flipped Zara onto his back where he continued to lay, wheezing as he struggled to continue the fight. He managed to get onto his side, then up to his hands and knees.

            “And so ends the dynasty of Lucian alliances,” the Accursed purred as he turned away, uninterested in watching the inevitable death. “Rather pathetic if you ask me.”

            “ _No_ ,” Zara growled attracting the attention of his attacker again, and Ignis found himself lessening his struggle against the barrier in shock as the half-divine started to glow. Fire licked through his red hair and heat radiated in waves as Zara pushed himself to his feet. Even Ardyn took a step back in surprise. “By the fire of the Pyreburner I was made, and only by His flame shall I be _un-_ made.”

            “What?!” Ardyn hissed, clearly not expecting the ginger to withstand him.

            And with that, Zara lunged forward and grabbed hold of the other man and dragging him to the earth, pressing a fiery hand to his chest where it promptly burned through his shirt and sunk into his ribcage, activating the purple miasma to whisk the Immortal Accursed away once again.

            The barrier faded, Noctis rushing forward and pressing a potion into the other’s hands and helping crush it, the magic stemming the bleeding from his chest.

            “Uh, dudes, maybe we should haul buns and find Ravus and Ezania because it doesn’t look like we’ll be able to travel for long,” Prompto said from the mouth of the tunnel.

            Ignis couldn’t believe his eyes as they joined him, the iciness of the tunnel not fading as they emerged.

            White snow fell from the sky, quickly gathering in the valley, the air unnaturally cold and sharp. Ice was fast forming into stalactites in the edge of the opening, frost spreading across the earth right before their eyes.

            “Where did Ardyn say that town was?” Gladio huffed, pulling Noct by the arm back towards the Regalia where it waited behind the ruins of Ravus’s vehicle.

            “He didn’t,” Noctis sighed.

            “Wiz mentioned a little village down a side road the last time we visited the Chocobo post,” Prompto piped up behind them as the piled into the car. “Maybe that’s the place?”

            “It’ll have to be a start,” Noct said, pulling his phone away from his ear and throwing it into the cup holder. “He’s not answering his phone.”

            “Would he have gotten that far though?” Gladio asked.

            “Maybe he borrowed a car from the stop at the intersection,” Prompto suggested. “They lend us rides all the time to pick up from the supply spots.”

            “And they always give Ravus the blue one, since its Tenebraen made,” Noctis agreed. “If it’s not in the lot then we’ll assume he’s en route to the village.”

            “I don’t see any blue automobiles, Noct,” Ignis said as he steered past.

            “Then left, into the storm it is,” the prince grumbled, pulling his light jacket closer around him.

            “What do you think is causing the snow? The Glacian?” Prompto asked.

            “No,” Zara answered quickly. “It feels wrong. This isn’t Divinity’s doing.”

            “What else could it be?” Noct asked from the passenger seat.

            “Chaos,” Zara said simply. “Ardyn brings Sickness and Ezania brings Chaos, that’s the whole point. Whatever this is… Ezania must have started it.”

            “Not to question your divine authority or whatever, but uh, she doesn’t seem like the type to do that,” Prompto interjected.

            “Maybe not as a human, but she’s more than that now,” the redhead responded gravely. “She’s part of the Mortalis Trinity, and corrupted at that. There’s no telling what the Accursed could influence her to do. She was fighting him in the tunnel, and I’d assume she was trying to escape when we found her in the desert. She’s at least mostly in control.”

            “So if it _is_ Ezania, how do we stop her?” Gladio asked.

            “I would assume the method we use to change Twil would work the same if we can find her in time.”

            “In time?”

            “Lilith told me of an event known as the Reckoning. Should an affected soul be saved before then, they have the chance to fully revert. If not…”

            “Spit it out,” Gladio huffed.

            “If they are not changed either back to human or Twil, they will stay a demon until the Accursed is slain, then they too shall die.”

            “Yeah no, Rav isn’t going to like that option,” Prompto sighed.

            “I don’t think any of us do,” Ignis agreed, pulling off as a blue car appeared from the edges of the blizzard. “Is this the car?”

            “Yeah,” Noct answered, already throwing the door open and moving to the side of the hill, the others following.

            White blanketed the small settlement, the snow blowing up to the advisor’s knees in some spots as they trudged down the hill, the wind ruining whatever tracks the former Prince of Tenebrae might have left.

            The wind howled through the buildings, highlighting the ruined township as they walked through. Glass storefronts and display windows were shattered in. One house had the edge of its porch railing ripped off. There was a massive hole in the brick siding of a restaurant. As they turned a corner, they found a person sprawled in the street, dead. The further they ventured towards the center, the worse the destruction became, and they saw more than one casualty of whatever happened.

            But the worst part, the part that Ignis was sure would haunt his nightmares forever, was when they descended the steps into the center of the settlement.

            If he had thought the other side of the village looked like a nightmare, they had just waltzed into Hell itself. Icy wind picked up snow and blew it through the air like fog, half concealing the twisted and mutilated corpses that were strewn about. They laid over the village’s water well, in the doorways, over the wooden fence to a farmer’s frozen pasture. Ignis could see a broken and bloody arm drooping over the edge of a roof, and legs descending from a body that had ended up in a tree. They were everywhere, and- and oh Astrals, the faces.

            He couldn’t take it.

            Ignis turned and fell to his knees not too far from Zara, his stomach’s contents emptying out onto the frozen ground, the sound of the others gagging fading to static in the background. He had to press his face into a clear patch of the white powder to make the last of the nausea go away. When the advisor turned and looked up again, it was directly into the terrified face of the former High Commander, laying over a log in a frozen grass patch.

            “Oh Gods,” Ignis croaked out. “Ravus…”

            “Ravus?” Noct called from the other side of the small lane, hope clear in his voice as he moved to brush by their ginger companion.

            “Don’t,” Zara called after tossing a glance at the damage, pulling the king back and putting his arms around him to keep him there. “Trust me when I say it is not a sight you wish to see.”

            “He’s… _dead?_ ” Prompto hiccupped.

            “No, but he’s hurt rather badly. It would seem Ezania’s control has deteriorated faster than we anticipated,” The Remnant choked out. “Gladio, come take these two back to the car. I’ll see what I can do about it.”

            “You can do that?”

            “I can certainly try.”

            “I’ll stay with you in case anyone comes back,” Ignis volunteered, moving to crush one of the few remaining potions over the nasty wound stretching down Ravus’s side. He hissed as the flow of blood eased and some of the tissue knit itself together again.

            “He’s tainted,” Zara observed, prodding at the darkened edges of the injury. “He will need to be purged if we are to save him from death or becoming a demon.”

            “There is no Oracle to save men from the scourge now,” the Tenebraen coughed, blood slick where it pooled from his lips. “Kill me, I beg you, and be done with it.”

            “Don’t be foolish,” Zara chided. “Ignis and I hold authority enough to cleanse such a minor exposure. We will tend to you and all will be well.”

            “It wasn’t her,” the silvery-haired man mumbled from the snow. “I could tell the exact moment Ezania stopped being herself as she slipped into whatever that… monstrosity was.” He hissed as Zara’s magic started pulling the contamination from his flesh, the amber strains of light coming away dark with infection. “She had no control, I could feel Ardyn’s magic using her as a vessel.”

            “Such is your gift as Blood of the Oracle. His hold over her is not complete,” Zara said as he worked. “But we were foolish to think it was not strong enough to cause problems. The fact that she displayed any residual effects should have been enough to warn us that this might happen.”

            “We can still help her,” Ravus insisted, propping up on his elbow. “I know we can.”

            “There is yet hope,” Zara agreed, assisting the other to sit up the rest of the way. “But only if we can break the binding before the Reckoning. Which, I might add, won’t be done from here. Now come, we haven’t time to waste if we’re to catch and save your beloved.”

 

..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope yall had a merry winter festivity month! I've been up to my eyeballs planning my wedding, so thats been fun...
> 
> COME PLAY IN THE COMMENTS!!!! IVE MISSED YOU GUYS!!!!


	42. 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wee bit on the short side, but I had a *need* to post today:)

            “What exactly happened?”

            Noct watched the Tenebraen in the rearview mirror as they returned to Lestallum, the snow sheets falling too thickly to venture out after Ezania.

            “She was running.” Ravus stared out the window. “She must have known something was wrong. We should go after her while we know she's close.”

            “I’d want to put distance between Ardyn and me, regardless of if he’d been experimenting on me or not.”

            “The point being,” Ravus said, tossing a glance at Prompto for his interruption. “Ezania is actively trying to avoid giving the Accursed hold over her actions. Something must have happened before she displayed signs of demonic control.”

            “Roughly about twenty minutes after you split from the group, right?” Noct asked.

            “T’would be an accurate estimate, yes.”

            “Because that would be around the same time I finished the fight with Ardyn,” Zara cut in. “I think we can safely guess that he’s entwined some of his magic with her, which would give him hold over her regardless of distance.”

            “And that would anchor him in this world, making his regenerations faster. Once you finished things, he would have popped up again somewhere close to the anchor point. It's too dangerous to go after her blind,” Ignis added on. “We should send a message to Lilith. She may have an idea on how to separate the two of them if the Reckoning isn’t a viable option.”

            “I’ll send a message once we get back to the hotel,” Zara agreed. “But if she does not hold any answers, we may need to consider a worst-case plan.”

            “Like what?” Noct asked.

            “If Ezania cannot be freed, she must not be allowed to remain as a tool for the Accursed.”

            “You surely cannot mean to plan for her demise,” Ravus frowned.

            “If it can be avoided, then it should be,” the redhead stated softly. “But there is a very real chance that we won’t be able to find her in time. A separation must be made before the completion of the moon’s cycle, or else we will lose the only way we have to save her.”

            “We will not give up on her,” the Tenebraen said. “Regardless of the timing.”

            “You would rather she live as a demon under his control?”

            “I would rather she _live_. What will it matter when Ardyn is gone and the world is freed from his darkness?”

            “Except she is tainted by him. If the bond is not broken then she will die with him anyway!”

            “We can worry about it after we speak with Lilith,” Ignis interrupted sharply from the front seat. “Now is not the time to bicker- we need to stand as one unit lest our differences be used against us.”

            Tension through the car, the noise of the weather outside not quite enough to cover Ravus last mutterings.

            “T’would be easy for a Lucian to say…”

***

            Snow fell… and fell… and fell. The normally dry and arid regions of Duscae were brutally subjected to icy storms for the better part of two days. Ravus either paced the communal area or retreated once again into his room, his agitation setting the rest of the squad on edge as they waited for Lilith to answer their inquiries.

            “They should have been here by now, right?” Prompto asked, squinting into the reflective white that steadily covered the town. “I mean, they’d have to travel by night but that’s a good sixteen hours now. Even on foot, that’s a day and a half’s worth of time. They shouldn’t need much more to get here.”

            “Maybe there were complications?” Gladio laid out on the sofa, and arm thrown over his eyes. “I’m not keen on seeing the demons either way.”

            “They aren’t demons,” Zara chided from his place on the ground as he flipped through his books once again.

            “Eh, tomato potato.”

            “That’s not the saying.”

            “Don’t really care,” the Shield said, sitting up and shrugging on his jacket. “I’m going to go check on the Exineris folks, see if they’ve found anything else to help keep the citizens warm.”

            “Take the mythril shards we picked up from the posts yesterday,” Noct called from his room. “Cid’s been working with them to jumpstart the generators for when dark settles for good.”

            “On it,” came the answer as he slid out the door.

            “Speaking of the posts,” Prompto said, letting the curtains fall closed. “Cindy should be back with the plows from picking up today’s drop-offs. Should we go check it out?”

            “Beats hanging around up here,” Noct said, tugging on his boots. “I’d prefer being productive for a little while if possible.”

            “To aid Miss Aurum it is then,” Ignis sighed, Zara nodding as he joined them.

            “Bundle up,” his prince said, pressing a jacket into his hands with a kiss before banging on the closed bedroom door. “Ravus! We’re helping unload. Come on!”

            White crunched underfoot as they trekked down to the car park where Cindy was hard at work dividing supplies to be distributed out to the storehouses.

            “Howdy boys,” she smiled as they approached. “Mind givin’ a girl a hand?”

            “Happy to help!” Prompto was quick to jog over and take a box of donations dutifully from her arms.

            “You’re a doll Camera. These last few are goin’ over to Dave in the green truck.” The remaining young men each took a box or two, quickly shuffling the supplies over to the hunter.

            “Oh, and this is for you,” she said, throwing a bundle of fabric towards the redhead before setting a box by his feet. “Pawpaw ain’t got much use for his ol’ retainer uniforms anymore, but they’re still in good shape. They oughta fit you just fine, and keep ya warm in this weird weather too!”

            “Please, pass him my thanks for the consideration,” Zara said, holding out the uniform jacket for a moment before sliding it over his shoulders and buttoning the clasps.

            “He said if you’d be servin’ the King of Kings, you’d best look the part.”

            “Look the part indeed,” Ignis hummed. “A bit out of date, but you make a fine-looking Crownsguard all the same.”

            “Maybe I’ll open a new position when all this is taken care of,” Noctis chuckled. “Divine Comrade to the King.”

            “Perhaps,” the redhead hummed.

            “The prince looks like a human.” The small group looked over to the ledge, where a pair of small imps were sitting on the stone, draped head to toe in heavy fabrics of red, black, and purple. Cindy let out a small yell, scooping a crowbar out of the back of the truck and making a move to strike.

            Prompto was quick to grab her arm and pull her back before any damage could be done, the two Twil laughing as the blonde was calmed by her friends.

            “About time you two showed up,” Noctis sighed. “We’ve been waiting for days.”

            “Mithias and Tar’nok came as fast as possible. The Lady gave us a task as well.” Mithias hopped down from the edge, scampering up to Zara to hold out a lava rock. “Curantis wished the prince to have his stone, brings good luck!”

            “Thank you, Mithias,” the redhead smiled. “It looks like you’ve received a gift as well.”

            “Our Lady gave us robes to ward off the last of the weak day-star’s light. Now we can come to the Prince whenever he needs!”

            “And our Lady sends you a gift as well,” Tar’nok smiled, holding out a parcel. “Brings a gift for the Prince of Twilight, and for the Prince of Tenebrae.”

            “A whistle?” Ravus raised a skeptical brow as it was unwrapped.

            “Blow,” the imp snickered. “Tar’nok spent many hours looking for it. The princes will be glad.”

            Zara held the silver trinket out to the former High Commander, who simply gave him a look and shook his head. The redhead shrugged and brought it to his lips, a bright note ringing out. White frost billowed out as something rushed through the snow before black leaped over the edge of the wall and into the car park, Cindy yelling once again.

            Lilith brushed the powdery flakes from the feline’s back as Zara rushed him.

            “Gra!” The semi-divine pressed his face into the black fur around the cat’s neck, eliciting a loud purr from the creature as it nuzzled its master.

            “It’s the kitty from Nifelhiem,” Prompto smiled. “How ya been buddy?”

            “Tar’nok and Mithias did a wonderful job nursing your friend, don’t you think so Zara?” Lilith asked from her perch atop Gra’ath’s shoulders.

The large creature moved to nudge his head against Ignis’s arm, nuzzling him for a moment before stretching out in the weak sunlight.

            _“It is good to see you on your feet,”_ Gra’ath purred. _“You’ve my thanks for caring after Zara in my absence.”_

            “The cat talks,” Cindy squeaked.

            “This is Gra’ath,” Zara introduced as he helped Lilith down from her perch. “He’s my divine companion.”

            “Ancient and divine…” she sighed, letting Prompto guide her to sit on the edge of the truck bed. “Just when I think I got this all figured out, the Astrals go and throw in another monkey wrench…”

            “I still fail to see how yet another animal companion is beneficial to both of us,” Ravus said, keeping a watchful eye as the imp played with the massive familiar.

            “That was less Gra’ath and more that he helped us find something on the way here,” Lilith provided, stalking towards him gracefully. “Do you recognize this?” A cascade of lilac miasma dripped through her fingers, materializing into a sturdy green army jacket. Ravus was quick to snatch it up. “Your lost beloved made her way through the Mistwood by the Malacchi Hills. I’ve sent some Twil to track her path.”

            “Where do you think she was headed?” Zara asked.

            “Traces of the Accursed were found as well,” Lilith answered. “If rumor is to be believed, he’d be taking her to the tombs.”

            “Keycatrich would be the best bet then,” Noctis cut in.

            “Unless he is taking her to the Tomb of the Renegade,” the woman cut in, her eyes glinting under the edge of her hooded robes.

            “Never heard of him.”

            “Well, he would have been struck from history, undoubtedly,” she smiled. “Traitors usually are, especially traitors of royal lineage. The Renegade actively worked against the Astrals to try and make a personal gain at the cost of his people. It caused such a stir even we Twil heard about it.”

            _“I could get you there,”_ Gra’ath said as he scratched behind an ear. _“It would be easy for me to track her scent.”_

            “Alright,” Noctis said, squaring his shoulders. “We finish up here within the hour, then we roll out and find this missing tomb.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehehehehe what are we gonna find guys?? Can you guess?
> 
> UP NEXT: The Tomb of The Renegade!
> 
> COME PLAY IN THE COMMENTS!!!! :D


	43. 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM NOT DEAD! Apologies for the wait folks, between the wedding and hospital stays, I haven't had much time to write. Hopefully I'll be on the mend enough to get back into the groove!

            _“They’ve passed through here recently”_ Gra purred, twisting between the tight trees. _“The scent is warm and fresh. We will catch up to them soon.”_

            “Why are they traveling so slowly? Doesn’t seem like the place for a leisure stroll,” Gladio commented from the back of his chocobo.

            “If Ezania returns to her own devices between bouts, t’would make sense that she would try to flee,” Ravus pointed out.

            “It doesn’t matter,” Noct said, drawing their attention back to the front. “We’re here, we must be.”

            The dark and twisting limbs of nature parted at long last, the sight drawing awe from the little group. The Tomb of The Renegade lay before them- a half-constructed mausoleum nestled between the rocks, the archway partially collapsed in on the steps leading down into the earth.

            _“They’ve gone below. I cannot follow, nor will the birds.”_

“You stay and watch over them, Gra’ath,” Zara said softly, sliding down from his companion’s back. “We will have to follow on foot from here.”

            Ignis could feel a tingle run down his spine as they approached the steps up to the dais. He could feel it in his bones- the ancient stone blocks seeped out death and decay.

            “Darkness rests here,” Ignis murmured.

            “Great darkness,” Zara agreed. “The Accursed will make use of it, I’m sure.”

            “Ignis,” Noct said, motioning him over to a stone just before the entrance to the decent. “Do you know what this is?” He followed the gesture, running his hand along the rough edges of the rock. “It looks like someone tried to write something.”

            “Someone did,” he said, pushing up his glasses. “Its been sanded down and covered.”

            “If the man I was building a giant piece of masonry for decided to betray hearth and home, I’d want to deface it a bit too when it came out,” Gladio huffed.

            “There’s something else,” Prompto said, leaning over. “Look, the marks are deeper here. It looks newer.”

            “-ware… here… Renegade… danger…” Zara read. “Not particularly inviting is it?”

            A clatter drew their collective attention back to the steps, strung out on high alert as the small fennec skittered through the rocks.

            “We should take stock before heading out,” Noct said, taking Ignis’s hand as they stood. “I’ll take Ignis and look for some energy deposits to craft with while you guys count curatives.”

            “Stay sharp,” Gladio huffed, pulling out a supply box in a shatter of blue.

            “Always am, big guy.”

            Noctis tugged him back into the trees, scouring the rocks for the elemental fields as Ignis followed behind, plucking leaves from the plants so Zara could fashion them into restoratives of his own.

            “Do you think we’ll be alright here?” Noctis only spoke after several minutes of silence, hunched low over a glimmering frost deposit. “Against Ardyn, I mean? He’s got Ezania now too. Unless we can break them up… I don’t see how we can do it.”

            “I have faith in what we’ve cultivated,” he answered after a moment. “Something lingers in my mind, ever out of reach, but I refuse to fail, so we will simply have to win.”

            “You make it sound so easy, Specs,” the raven laughed mirthlessly, standing to run a hand down the advisor’s face with a solemn look. “Swear you’ll never leave me.”

            “I remain by your side,” Ignis assured, kissing the palm of his hand. “Always.”

***

            “I’m getting real tired of this,” Noctis huffed, timing a blow with Zara to decimate the last of the demons they’d been ambushed by. Ignis felt a pang, knowing that if there’d been enough time they could have been spared, but when Noctis was in danger, he couldn’t afford to take precious moments to be merciful.

            “Be at peace,” the redhead mourned, watching as they faded. “He holds your chains no more.”

            For a while, the only sound was their footsteps and the running babble of water somewhere nearby as they plucked onwards.

            Ardyn must have known they were following because it felt like a new wave of demons popped up each time Zara caught wind of his uncle’s magic. They’d been wandering ever downward for hours, the crumbling ruins above giving way to sleek black stones inlayed in silver with the Lucian crest. The stress was making Ignis jittery. Where would the next batch of demons fall from? Would there be time to save any? What was the danger they’d been warned of? What was Ardyn planning somewhere deep within?

            He was pulled from his thoughts as Prompto frantically reached out to grasp the royal by his shoulder. “Noct!!” The prince sagged against the gunslinger’s frame, dragging them both to the ground, where Noctis began to thrash.

            “It’s the Accursed,” Zara panted, leaning against the wall. As the words echoed in the chamber, their meaning hit Ignis full force… literally.

            The pain drove him to his knees, beating against the insides of his skull until black stained the edges of his vision. Red was pooling around Noct’s limbs, Prompto all but screeching into the abyss as it leaked from their prince.

            “Do not… give in…” Zara groaned, crawling across the floor to place a glowing hand on his dark fringe.

            “A scar has reopened on his back,” Ravus hissed, wadding up Gladio’s proffered jacket to press against the wound as the shield dug for a potion.

            “I can’t summon!” Gladio bellowed, the blue shards fizzing out on his fingers.

            “Heal, Noctis,” Zara murmured, his skin flaring slightly brighter. “Ravus… help me…”

            The ancient grabbed hold of the Tenebraen, drawing a hiss as gold light seared from the contact. Ravus bowed over, gasping as Zara pulled, sealing the wound between the two of them. As the light faded, so did the thumping in Ignis’s mind, drawing him back from the brink of oblivion.

            “He will be well…” Zara choked out.

            “What did you do?” Ravus demanded, looking pale even for him.

            “You are the blood of the Oracle,” Zara said, shaking in his place among the grits. “Her power is your power, though you lack the skill to wield it.”

            Suddenly a pop of blue bloomed in front of Gladio, the healing bottle dropping to the floor and shattering, its mist floating into the air no longer needed.

            “And the magic’s back on,” Prompto joked hollowly, frantically trying to wipe the red from his hands. “Talk about a delayed reaction, amirite? Ha. Huh…”

            “Are you alright,” Ignis asked, reaching out slightly before gasping in shock.

            Black churned around Zara’s red eyes, streaking across his veins and staining his cheeks.

            “I’ll be fine,” he shuddered, lowering his head. “I just… need a moment. I should have thought it through better…”

            “What’s wrong?” Prompto asked.

            “I’ve no power to stop the Accursed’s attack, but I was able to… change the target…”

            He shuffled up onto his feet, swaying heavily as he tried to counteract whatever was happening inside himself.

            Ignis moved to Noctis, noting the slow creep of color returning to his face before the brilliant blue eyes he loved blinked open.

            “Shiva’s ice,” he groaned. “What happened.”

            “Ardyn,” they answered in almost unison.

            “Gonna punch him right in the face for that one,” Noctis moaned, rolling over. “Feel like I got sat on by a behemoth.”

            He pulled a face as he sat up, the newly re-healed scar along his spine no doubt twinging in protest.

            “You good Zara?” His beloved prince ran his gaze over the back still shaking immortal, waiting for the hesitant nod. “Right. Are we all good to keep going?”

            “We’ll have to be doubly careful,” Ignis said, subtly moving into a position where Zara could lean against him without falling. “We’re nearly out of potions, and there’s no telling how much deeper the mausoleum goes.”

            “Uhh, I don’t think it does, guys,” Prompto called from the other side, peeking around the doorway. “Come check it out!”

            Rounding the corner brought the slight babble from before into a full-on cascading roar of water. It streamed down from the hole above, dropping into the vast mist below, perpetual twilight glinting yellow of the waterfalls.

            Ignis might have stopped and marveled at it once, the only word finding him was _beautiful_ , but now his attention was drawn to the graceful steps leading up to a dais, as they’d seen in so many tombs before.

            Only this time, there was no king to see.

            Instead, Ezania sat on the edge, one hand curled around the other arm so tightly her nails drew rivulets of blood as she quaked. Purple bruises danced on her skin, curving over her shoulders and streaking up her neck.

            No…

            Horror dawned on Ignis as the marking shifted against her skin. Those weren’t bruises…

            “Help me,” she gasped, her eyes wide with fear. “I can’t… I can’t make it stop.”

            “It would seem Ardyn’s been inflicting his magic on all of us,” Ravus muttered, rushing to the steps.

            Purple flashed, and Ezania screamed, black shards rising up and twisting together in an instant to adorn her with a shimmering obsidian blade. The pulse, the churning nauseating ringing returned, and Ardyn’s magic pumped through once again.

            “Doesn’t she look fierce, Commander?” The Accursed’s voice rang from somewhere behind them. The group turned to see him leaning against a pillar on the balcony above them. Ravus growled, pulling his glinting sword free as Zara lobbed a fireball, which dissipated long before it ever struck. “Tsk. Now, now boys. If you want to play, you must play by the rules! You wanted your lover back, didn’t you Commander? I’ve quite literally left her on a pedestal for you.”

            “I’ll kill you for this!” The Tenebraen yelled.

            “Unfortunately, you aren’t the royal that gets the honor, Ravus dear. But by all means, if you can get around the little dance I’ve in mind for you, I’ll be more than happy to let you try. Ezania, darling, do show our guests your _best_ hostess skills, won’t you?”

            With a garbled, demonic cry, she vaulted the steps, her black sword ringing out against Noctis’s hastily raised engine blade. She moved swiftly, dodging blows in exchange for her own, Ignis taking the distraction to move around behind her.

            She caught him with black eyes, screeching as she stabbed her blade into the ground, darkness welling up from the cracks and flinging them every which way. A quick spin and point had the ooze swirling around Ignis’s legs, flinging him into the air and slamming him back down so hard he felt his ribs break.

            “Iggy!” Gladio yelled, rolling in front and lifting his massive shield as the next strike came, blocking the damage as he shoved a potion into his hand. As he crushed it he caught the chancellor's eye, the pest throwing him a wave as he turned heel and continued onward, leaving the battle behind.

            But the fight continued to rage around him, the woman they’d come to save beating against them relentlessly. Hit. Hit. Swipe, roll and hide. She was strong, so, so strong, and every few moments she released a powerful attack that had the men around her panting and struggling to stay upright.

            A few feet away, Noctis cried out, bone poking through his skin in a blur of crimson and white. Prompto fired a shot to steal her attention, Zara swooping in to press one of his personal concoctions against the prince, blinding light flashing as the magic did its work.

            Ravus placed himself between the nest blow and its goal, locking his silver steel with her black blade and pushing to stay even.

            “This isn’t you,” he grunted. “You know it isn’t.”

            “You don’t know anything,” she howled, her voice echoing in with a power that could only be called _demonic_.

            “I know _you_ Ezania!” She shifted and pulled back to circle him before clashing again.

            “And who is Ezania?” she taunted laughing, retreating back up the steps. “Is she a priestess, or a commander? A lover, or a mother? An ancient, or a youth?”

            “She’s both,” Ravus said, keeping his blade matched with hers. “She is old, and new, and wise but naïve. She’s the woman who dedicated her life to the gods and dedicated it again on the battlefield. She stands for humanity and tells the stories written in the stars.”

            She shook her head, the black sinking away before flourishing again full force. “Lies! Deceit! I stand by my brother!” She hurled herself anew in a series of inhumanly fast strikes, the last of which drove her blade through his prothesis like butter before the rest of them could intervene.

            “And what of your _son_ ,” Ravus half shouted as Zara took up a place in front of him, barring attacks with his replica of the Warrior’s katana.

            “My… son…” She shook her head again, staggering.

            It clicked for Ignis.

            “Ardyn left!” he called. “His hold is weaker!”

            “Ardyn,” she murmured. “Brother… Accursed… What did he do to me?”

            “Ezania, please,” Ravus called out, seizing the opportunity and moving towards her. “I beg you, stop this madness. You don’t have to follow him. Come with me, and let us go _home._ ”

            Something in her eyes shifted, the hand holding her weapon slowly falling limp to her side as she permitted the Tenebraen to close the distance before she slowly looked up into his eyes. “He’s ruined me,” she said, tears gathering. Everything about her posture indicated control, and surrender.

            “Nothing is ruined,” he assured. “We can fix this, as we have fought to fix everything. _Together._ ”

            “You’d love me?” She choked out in that strange twisted voice. “Even like this?”

            “If I have learned anything in my life, it is that you are who you choose to be. And I would choose to give you my heart every day, from this day to my last, if you will give me yours in return. Come home, Ezania. There is nothing that we cannot overcome. Remember, you are the lion, and I am the lamb.”

            “Ravus,” she mumbled softly, sweetly, the darkness fading from her features as he reached out and took the blade from her hand.

            She went limp, crying into his shoulders as he held her for several long moments. Through the tears, he could hear her sobs. _I don’t want this. Don’t make me… I’m so sorry._

            And then she pressed her lips to his through the tears, a sweet notion under any other circumstance. However, something didn’t sit right in Ignis’s gut, pushing for him to charge forward and pull the two apart, but he hesitated.

The illusion of peace and joy was shattered as Ravus stiffened in her hold, his hands coming up to push against her in a vain attempt to break free. Her grip was seemingly too strong though, and the rest of them were forced to watch in horror as black began to stain the veins running close under the flesh of his face.

            She’d never been in control at all.

            Ravus collapsed when Ezania finally let go, the dark essence of what could only be a Plague infection continuing to careen through his body as he twitched. The inky substance began to pool downwards, the power of gravity drawing the taint towards the ground.

            “Ezania,” he gasped, a look of despair and betrayal in his eyes, her sobs only growing louder.

            And there, in the minute of stunned silence where no one seemed able to move, they watched as Ravus was forcibly turned into a half demon by the one he loved most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, kudos, and shares= Love!!! Come tell me what yall have been up to while I've been out of the game, I've missed you!


	44. 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOHOHO!! What is this? ANOTHER CHAPTER?! In the same WEEK no less? 
> 
> Yes, yes it is. ENJOY!!!!

            A lifetime seemed to pass before a Noctis shrieked and ran forward, narrowly being caught by Gladiolus before the glimmer of Ravus’s sword- now slick with black- swiped through the air towards the prince.

            “Ardyn,” the Tenebraen growled. “Damn you…”

            “Fight, puppet,” Ezania said, swishing her blade as her features hardened once again. “Our Master commands it.”

            He jerked and stiffened, darkness clouding his eyes as he charged.

            _Two powerful enemies,_ Ignis thought. _Both of whom we don’t want to permanently dispose of._ A sword connected with his daggers as he spun out of the way. Hit, slash, dodge. Run back… regroup! _Oh Ravus, what have we drug you into?_

            Heat swelled, despite twilight’s constant chill. Bang, clash, swipe. The coppery taste of blood welled in his mouth when Ravus picked him up by the collar and slammed him back down. Pain spiked through him over and over, the adrenaline making his fingers feel fuzzy and his legs numb as he rolled away from under the sword.

            Realization punched him in the gut. _We can’t win without killing them, we haven’t the time to turn them back._

“We need to run,” he called out to the others, Zara jerking a nod in agreement.

            “We haven’t the means to stand against them both,” the redhead concurred as the began backing up a flight of stairs.

            “Iggy, you got this?” Noctis asked, giving him a signal.

            “I’ve just the thing,” he called back, lobbing an enhanced clemency flask overhead.

            It shattered on the first step, a swirling blend of fire, lighting, and frost seizing the stone, trapping their new foes on the other side for at least a few minutes.

            “Time to haul ass,” Gladio called, taking point with his shield in hand as they stormed up the steps onto the balcony above.

            They wound their way further up, the incline steep and relentless. But the crazed screams of once-allies kept them from slowing. Despite all his training, there was still that little voice in the back of Ignis’s mind. _Run. Run or you’re dead! I don’t want to die here!!_ Today, it worked in his favor.

            The floor leveled out some, turning from steps into a long hallway. He could smell it! The outside! Nearly free!

            They sprinted through a doorway into a long circular room, a door on the other side leading into another hall with yellow twilight twinkling at the end. _So close!_

            His gut wrenched just before Ardyn filled the archway, that massive scythe in hand. They skittered to a stop. His eyes darted around. _No way forward…_ Ravus and Ezania stalked in behind them. _No way back…_

            A trap, one they’d flawlessly fallen into.

            “You know boys,” Ardyn started conversationally, twirling his massive weapon with ease. “I may not hold the Gods’ favor anymore, but their decisions do still reach me.” He motioned, and Ezania slid by, taking up place next to him. “Found yourself some new friends to replace _us_ , did you, Nephew dear?”

            “If you had followed your calling, I wouldn’t have needed to,” Zara said coldly.

            “I healed the people. What more could there have been to my calling?”

            “You didn’t step down when the time came!” Fire flicked through the redhead's hair, its heat almost unbearable on Ignis’s skin.

            “You would rather I willingly let my brother take the throne and kill millions? Our people _asked_ me to rule because they _feared_ Somnus!” He stopped twirling the scythe, looking almost… hurt? “You truly have so much to learn, Nephew.” The miasma oozing blade swept in Zara’s direction, pointing with a clear challenge.

            “Back off old man, or we’ll settle this the old-fashioned way,” Noct growled, stepping between them. “And what good would it do to kill us now? Aren’t you supposed to be planning some big revenge?”

            “A revenge _he_ is not required for, nor any of your other friends, Noct.”

            As though to emphasize his point, Ezania and Ravus lifted their blades once again.

            “I grow tired of this,” Ardyn said, waving his hand dismissively. “Kill them… but save the King for me.”

            Steel clashed once again, Ravus closing from the back, Ezania from the front, and a host of demons crawling from the shadows.

            Claws found their way through Ignis’s jacket, sinking into flesh with a sting. Though his dagger quickly found its way through the skull of the demon responsible, the world stuttered and blurred. _Poison._ He connected with a few more opponents before he fell to his knees, searching the Armiger for an antidote. Nothing.

            A yell! Where was Noctis? Through the haze, Ignis tracked him as he fought a demon like Ignis had never seen before, its tall form the stalk for the even longer arms and razor-sharp claws. _What was that thing?_

            “Is this the best you have to offer?” Ardyn called over the din. “How unfortunate.”

            Zara yelled, fire sweeping through the chamber, annihilating the demons around them. New ones were quick to take their place. Ravus and Ezania retreated for a moment, hissing as miasma dripped from their corrupted forms.

            After the flames passed by, they were quick to strike again, Ravus gunning for Gladio and Prompto, Ezania for him and Noct. With a spark of crystalline shards, his prince warped away, and the former general grabbed Ignis by the shirt, raising her blade high above him.

            “Wait,” Ardyn called lazily, finally moving away from the door.

            Attacks ceased, Ezania holding Ignis in a vise. Looking around he could see his companions similarly compromised, Ravus pinning Prompto to the wall, and demons ensnaring the others even as they struggled to get free. _He was baiting us with fighting the two earlier,_ Ignis realized. _He wanted us to be tired out by the time we got up here._

            “I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that you’ve been caught in a bit of an… _awkward situation_ ,” Ardyn purred, sashaying around his minions to stop before the King of Kings. “I do have a plan for you, my boy, but I must admit I’m going utterly _mad_ with curiosity.” He moved on, drawing the six-damned dagger again, and gently gliding the steel against Ignis’s neck. “How _did_ you manage to get your friend back? And what has he and my little spitfire nephew convinced you to do? Rebellion against the Gods is hardly fitting for their Chosen.”

            “Maybe the Gods work in mysterious ways,” Noct shot back as he struggled, making Ignis feel both proud and frantic. _Don’t antagonize him!_

            “Mysterious indeed,” Ardyn hummed. “But, while I would enjoy nothing more than to raze your proud Insomnia to the ground all over again, make you suffer every single step along the way, and ultimately end things while still getting what _I_ want… maybe I’ll play along. Well, for a time. As I’m sure you’ve puzzled out, I’ve got plenty of it.”

            He turned back and faced the advisor, dark staining his features.

            “What do you think, my boy? You’ve beheld the crystal, beheld visions of the utmost truth. Why, even as early as the Alter of the Tidemother, you were accosted by a vision. Maybe the Chosen’s disobedience has less to do with his teenage rebellions and more with _you_ interfering.”

            “You can’t kill me,” Ignis growled low. “I’ll just keep coming back.”

            “Yes, much like myself” Ardyn murmured darkly. “But how much _longer_ it takes for you to cross the void. Why, if I were to kill you now, it would be months before you’d return. And if you’re gone,” He slid in close to Ignis’s ear, whispering. “Who will protect _your beloved Noctis?_ ” The Accursed chuckled when he flinched, bringing on a disgusted chill as he moved even closer, his lips almost brushing Ignis’s ear. “I’ll take him from you, one way or another, and I’ll take the strengths you’ve gained as well. No one, not even your new little _trinity_ will be able to stop what the Gods have decreed must-“

            He was cut short as Zara twisted from his captor and summoned his replica katana, bracing swords with Ezania as he tried to attack. She battered him back a few paces, until Ardyn pushed Ignis into her arms instead, summoning his own crystal weaponry and clashing with the Infernian’s son.

            “You won’t win,” Ardyn smirked, easily trading blows even as Zara sweated away. “You’ll lose, and I’ll happily send you back to the care of the Guardian, whisked away from all you know, up to and including your own mind.”

            “Never,” Zara yelled, hurling himself hard enough to make the Accursed stumble. “Even if you do, I will find a way to escape!”

            “Because that was such a daringly fast escape last time. If it weren’t for Ignis, you’d still be there.”

            “I am no longer He Who Lies in Wait.”

            “No, you are He Who Is About to Die Unless I Change My Mind.”

            Ardyn hurled a sword, followed with his dagger, and trailed by the massive scythe, each landing a devastating blow on the other immortal until blood seeped the ground and Zara lay wheezing.

            The Accursed twirled the dagger between his fingers, raising it high as it sputtered with miasma before hurling it down…

            … right next to Zara’s head.

            “I know I can’t kill you outright,” Ardyn said loftily. “But sending you off again seems so… _repetitive_. And I’ve been so bored waiting for Noctis to get his act together. So I’ll join in this little game you’ve set up for us.”

            Zara whipped out the dagger from the stones and stuck it into Ardyn’s neck, black pooling from the wound for a few moments before it was removed, and the skin healed as though nothing had happened at all.

            “Now, now, I’d hate to split up the fun, boy,” Ardyn sneered, dragging the redhead to his feet. “But if we’re going to play, then you have something I need. It’s only fair we have even teams.”

            “Go to hell,” the redhead spat, struggling under the Accursed’s grip.

            “Nephew dear, I’ve been there already. Can’t say I’m a fan. But if you don’t want to come along, then that’s perfectly fine. I’ve never presumed to ignore the rules for consent. Besides,” he smirked. “I only need a part of you.”

            Ignis could feel the fire in his veins as the cursed immortal reached into the Nexus and pulled. It burned, and he could distantly hear both Zara and himself screaming. The tie binding them together shivered and twisted in on itself, coiling so tightly that Ignis feared it would snap as Ezania held them apart.

            And in a way, it did.

            Ignis could feel, second-hand, as Zara was ripped asunder from the inside out, the Nexus and all its subsequent magics dividing as purple and crimson miasma shrouded the two immortals. The yellow light outside faded away faster with each second.

            When it cleared, Ardyn stood without resistance his hands raised like a demented prophet. In his left, he held a fiery form- an angel writhing in glory if Ignis ever saw one. In the left- a dark and twisting being of the night. He carelessly threw the shining creature away, smiling as the darker of the pair wrapped itself around him, shaping and taking form. Grey skin with only shadows to clothe it, inky black hair, and yellow eyes… all in the shape of Zara.

            A dark duplicate- the part of Ignis’s friend that was born from Lilith.

            “Let the games begin in earnest! _My_ trinity against _yours._ Now that that’s all dealt with, I bid you a good day.” He swooped a mocking bow on the way out, the shadow form following him. “King Noctis, companions,” he paused with a look to the faintly glowing body on the ground with a sneer. “ _Remnant_.”

            “You won’t follow us,” Ezania said, her voice twisted even further as dark tendrils rose and wrapped around them, pinning the King and his entourage to the walls.

            The shadow laughed as they left the ruins, Ezania’s power keeping them suspended as they went, its sound chilling in the long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ......... I told you it would get worse.
> 
> Random thing to share: I was reading the Arcana Chronicles (super good series, 10/10 recommend) and one of the characters is named ZARA!!!
> 
> I thought I was being all cool and rare and now every time I pick up the book and they talk about her, I have a second where I think "how did my character end up in someone else's book?"
> 
> Anyway, come chat! Love yall!


	45. 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a shameless setup chapter lol, sorry it's a bit short.

            “Where’s the High Commander?”

            Aranea held fear in her eyes as her ship stooped low to gather the five men. Upon Ezania’s magic wearing off, they’d trudged back outside, Zara carried unconscious on Gladio’s back. Gra’ath was gone, and their chocobo’s had been laying in lumps of bloody feathers, massive claw marks setting a suspicious edge in Ignis’s mind as to who killed them. Prompto had cried as one let out a weak _kweh_ , a swift but burdened gunshot putting the poor beast out of its misery.

            “We’ll get him back,” Noct ground out. Rage burned in his prince’s eyes as he moved to brush Zara’s hair back from his fevered skin. “We’ll get them all back….”

            “And then Ardyn is gonna pay.”

***

            Zara had yet to wake, lying half stripped in his bed and worsening.

            “If he were human, he’d be dead,” Iris commented as she took his vitals on the third day. She’d returned with Talcott, Monica, and Dustin from Cape Caem at Noct’s request, taking over the role of the Immortal’s nurse. “His fever is clocking at _a hundred and thirty-seven_. The whole room is like an oven.”

            “Maybe stick him in the bathtub?” Gladio suggested. “We can put ice in the water to try and help him out.”

            “It’d probably just steam right off,” Noctis sighed. “But we’ve got to be able to do something…”

            “It gets so much higher each time we check,” Prompto said, despondent as he held the silver bauble he’d once hung from his chocobo. Or at least, that’s what Ignis _thought_ it was. His sight had yet to return to normal, a fact he kept close to himself. Maybe just a while longer… “I know he’s like, divine or whatever, but how much more can he take?”

            _“The blood of the Infernian will scorch him if unchecked,”_ came a soft voice. Snow swirled into the room, a visage of white appearing at the door.

            Shiva.

            “He was not meant to bear Ifrit’s power alone,” she said, laying a hand on the door. Frost bloomed under her fingers, staying for only a moment before melting away under the heat from the other side.

            “Then how do we fix it?” Noctis asked, watching her.

            “I do not know, Chosen. I am neither knowledgeable of fire nor darkness.”

            “There’s got to be something!”

            “The Shadrin’s queen is your last hope, O Chosen. The Infernian will not heed your call.”

            “We’ve tried contacting Lilith,” Ignis said, bowing his head in respect as he joined the dialogue. “She has yet to answer.”

            “Her people fight many battles, Seer. Even now, the Children of Twilight raze a nest of demons to the ground and take the survivors into their fold. The battles with darkness begin in force.”

            “So why are you here if you’re not able to help?” Gladio huffed in agreement with him.

            “The child suffers.”

            “Child?”

            “He’s older than all of us combined,” Prom pointed out meekly.

            “To us, those souls from time immemorial, he will _always_ be a child. Perhaps not my own, but it means little. The Infernian bore him, and so as he is Ifrit’s son, he shall be mine as well.” She coated the door in frost once again, sustaining it. “I shan’t stand by any longer while my charges suffer.”

            Her ice encapsulated the wood, crackling down onto the floor and across the walls as she entered. Heat poured out for a moment, blistering hot until they melded.

            “Go about your business, Chosen,” Shiva said as she settled onto the bed, pulling Zara’s head into her lap. “I shall care for him until he wakes.”

***

            “Do you think he’ll be okay?” Noctis asked a few nights later. True to her word, the Glacian had stayed in Zara’s room, the ever-present frost seeping from under the door an icy reminder to let him rest.

            “If the goddess is willing to take such a break from her other duties, I’ve no doubt the Gods wish him to live.”

            “Shiva also kinda went rouge though, didn’t she? When we were looking for Ezania she practically said she wasn’t supposed to be here.”

            “Perhaps, but she is here now, and I’m grateful,” Ignis said truthfully, brushing his fingers through Noct’s hair. To think, a goddess in the room next to them, using divine power to keep their friend from combusting…

            “Yeah,” Noct hummed, snuggling in closer, on the verge of sleep. “I miss him though…”

            “As do we all.” He wrapped his arm around his prince, his beloved _Noctis_.

            His lover drifted off not too long afterward, but Ignis’s mind continued to race. What if Lilith couldn’t help Zara either? What if Ignis’s meddling and disobedience to the prophecy had brought about an even worse reality? Would things have been better if he’d followed blindly, trusting that the Gods knew best? Would Zara die because Ignis was reckless?

            For a moment, Ignis regretted ever picking up that damned ring. Regretted ever opening the door for Zara to find him.

            _“I have missed seeing others… It’s been centuries since I had someone to share a meal with… Your company alleviated a great deal of loneliness on my part…_ _”_

Zara’s words from their first true meeting echoed in his mind, making him feel guilty. Did he truly wish he’d left the redhead alone in his gilded cage, frightened and abused? Did he regret grabbing hold of him when they last fell away from the meadow and into this world? Would he have rather never met him?

            No.

            Zara was a good man, a powerful ally, and most of all- a dear friend. He’d given Ignis something… something he couldn’t quite place, but he knew was important. Ignis had chosen this path for a reason… there was _something_ _._

A feeling, deep in his heart, that told him this way, while less concise, would be better for them… better for _Noctis._

            But _why?_

He was tugged down into a fitful sleep, tossing and turning with the question.

_***_

            _Fire dances along the ground, kicking its way through the debris and crackling in anger. It sweeps through the forest, engulfing a six-legged cat and charring chocobos. Mad laughter follows in its wake, bare feet covered by grey skin mottled with black tramping through the ash left behind. The shadow winds, upwards, upwards, over the flesh until it crawls up the creature’s neck. The flames catch in its disturbing yellow eyes, peering out at him from under the black inky fringe._

_“I see you,” the demon sings, lips curling back to reveal rows of sharp teeth. “I can seeee you!”_

_A different presence presses against his back, dark and foreboding. The demon directs its gaze away from his face, looking over his shoulder instead._

_“Ignis,” comes the voice behind him, making him spin and reach for a dagger, but nothing comes._

_“Ignis,” Ardyn croons again. “Don’t be like that.” He plunges his dagger into the advisor’s chest, Ignis watching from outside himself as the corpse falls, the demon circling around it. “It’s like I said…” The body shudders, and rises again, blood pouring from its eyes as black falls from Ardyn’s. “You’re like me.”_

_And with that, the Not-Zara lets fire dance along his fingers with a sneer, and he’s looking right at him, his nails melting into claws._

_Ignis knows, for the first time, true terror as the monster charges._

_“I SEE YOU!”_

Ignis bolted upright in bed, a scream ripping past his lips as Noctis struggled to calm him.

            “It was a dream, Ignis! Just a dream!”

            _I see you…. I see you…._

            He was dimly aware of Prompto and Gladio rushing in, weapons drawn, and someone was still yelling. Was it him?    It was…

            _You’re like me…. I see you…_

He trembled in Noct’s arms, his heart racing as his cries died down. Sweat soaked through the sheets on his side of the bed, the cold air of almost-perpetual night freezing against his wet skin.

            A dream… a _nightmare_ …

            His vision was blurry, far more so than it should have been, and his scars from the ring seemed tight across his skin. It was too much…

            He bolted from the bed into their adjoining bathroom, the bile in his throat splashing sickly into the sink as he shook. He watched fuzzily as the yellow sank away into the drain, turning on the tap and rinsing his mouth before splashing some of the cold water on his face.

            Red dripped onto the granite as he leaned over the counter, seeping from his shirt. Had that been there before? He fumbled with the fabric, ripping it off his form to stare in horror at the bloody lines dragged across his chest.

            Something behind the door in the corner of the ceiling, barely shown in the edge of the mirror caught his eye.

            Grey skin, black hair, yellow eyes.

            _“I see you.”_

The world went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE NEED A NAME FOR NOT-ZARA!!! I am open to suggestions:)
> 
> Cast a suggestion in the comments!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	46. 46

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes the truth hurts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I purposefully tried to make this creepy AF, just so you kno.

            Everything was muted when he at last forced his eyes open. The haze over his eyes blurred his surroundings into a muddled greyscale, the bathroom’s lights flickering overhead.

            What happened?

            With a groan, he got up to his knees, vertigo threatening to break his fragile equilibrium. His chest ached, pulsing in time with the migraine at the base of his skull. The counter served as a good enough crutch to help him the rest of the way to his feet, the sight of the mirror bringing it all back.

            _The nightmare…_

_The demon…_

Ignis whirled, adrenaline overpowering his dizziness as he pushed back into the bedroom, Noct and the others nowhere to be seen. Noct’s small carbuncle figurine on the nightstand was the only proof he’d ever been there at all.

            “Noctis,” Ignis called, stepping out into the common area. “Where are you?”

            A chilling chuckle was all that greeted him. _“They’re not here.”_

            “What have you done? Where did you take them?!” He spun, looking for the source of the not- Zara’s voice.

            _“Don’t worry, I haven’t hurt anyone… too badly.”_ Pain laced behind his eyes, driving him to his knees. A vision danced behind his eyelids; Gladio hunched over, black ichor dripping from his torn flesh. _“You’d better hurry, Ignis, or your friend’s skin will stain.”_

            In a whirlwind, the room spun away, the force pushing him back down to the ground. Bile rose in his throat once again, but when it spilled past his lips, it splashed weakly into the grass below him.

            Smoke scented the air as he looked up, Lestallum nothing more than smoldering ruins in the distance.

            “This isn’t real,” he muttered. “It’s just another dream…”

            _“Who said dreams couldn’t be real? This is_ my _world, my realm of despair. And in_ my _world, we play by_ my _rules.”_ The earth shook, black vines twisting up from under the earth and coiling over the debris. _“Don’t keep me waiting, Ignis. My counterpart’s patience is not a virtue I possess.”_

“What even are you anyway?” Ignis asked the air, following a feeling in his gut that told him to go into the woods away from the crumbling city.

            _“Darkness,”_ the voice crooned over the breeze. _“Sweet, desolate darkness, so kind and loving, and so very, very cruel.”_

“Does Dark and Cruel have a name?”

            _“Hmm, a name of my own, now that’s a thought…”_

            Shadows skittered about between the trees, neither men nor demons. Phantoms watching from the woods. It quickly became apparent that this world was not laid out the same as the waking one, a few more steps carrying him to a dock overlooking the Vesper pool.

            A familiar shadow creature paced on top of the water, turning its yellow eyes to find the advisor. A tuft of blond hair swayed under the lake’s surface, Ignis’s legs propelling him into the watery muck on instinct to pull Prompto back up to the surface. The blonde sputtered and gasped, clawing at Ignis’s chest as ichor spilled from his lips and he melted away into the waves.

            “It’s not real,” Ignis choked out again.

            _“But you’re still angry,”_ the shadow smirked.

            How dare he… how _dare_ he! A spark of blue placed a dagger in his palm, the blade slicing through the air almost before it was done materializing. It slashed straight through the demon, who merely laughed.

            _“You haven’t found me yet, little mortal. Blades do you no service against a mirage.”_

The water bounced, ripples jumping high, swelling over the grey skin and swallowing him down into the depths.

            _“Keep going. Your king awaits you.”_

Another vision splattered behind his eyes. Noctis was climbing the steps to the citadel, then the steps to the throne…

            Warning bells sounded in his mind, an eerie sense of de ja vu settling in his bones. The star emblem on his arm stung, an incessant urge overcoming him, pulling him further into the water, sinking lower and lower until the lake encased him.

            Bodies lurked in the water, strangers and friends, allies and enemies. He could see Lady Lunafreya, her blonde hair carried limply in the currents. Ravus was suspended beside her, the black stain of Ezania’s plague dripping from him. Prompto, Iris, his uncle, King Regis, his mother, Cor, and a multitude of other faces watched him from this watery hellscape.

            They reached for him, their eyes dead and empty as the lake swallowed their screams.

            Ardyn’s new pet floated amid them, the currents lifting his black hair as it danced in the refracted moonlight. He slunk backward through his sick illusion, taunting Ignis onwards as he slid down into a crevasse, the inky shadows welcoming him.

            Ignis didn’t want to follow, but his body refused to obey the command to turn back. Panic bubbled up as the currents began to swirl, faster and faster until it pulled him into the cavern. Water rushed in as he opened his mouth to scream.

            He heaved, the lake’s farewell splashing dully on the black stones of the throne room.

            “I told you,” came the taunt from above him. “My world means my rules.” A grey hand hoisted him into the air, his feet dangling uselessly off the ground. So, this was the real one. “And the game’s no fun if you break the rules.”

            “Where’s Noct?” Breathing wasn’t particularly easy at the moment, but Ignis would be damned if it stopped him.

            “Why don’t you say hello yourself?” Yellow eyes glinted as he let the mortal crumple back to the ground, spinning into a grandiose and mocking bow. “Your king at last sits the throne.”

            A gasp strangled its way out of Ignis’s body, feeling like a part of his soul went with it. Noctis sat, slumped over, pinned to the throne by his father’s sword jutting out from his chest. Moonlight washed over his skin, glimmering in the Ring of the Lucii, morbidly calm in comparison to the carnage.

            “King Noctis Lucis Caelum, first of his name, one hundred and fourteenth heir of the crown… Slain by his own father,”

            “King Regis is already dead.” Fury was building in Ignis’s chest.

            “A moot point, considering the larger perspective, Ignis.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “You know _exactly_ what I mean.” He turned and began walking up the steps. “Your king will be known for his bravery, his selflessness. The people of Eos will remember the name Noctis… and I think they’ll remember me too. But every statue of history needs a name, as you’ve pointed out. I choose… Araza.” He slid his hands over Noct’s shoulders with a sickening grin. “What do you think?”

            “Get your hands off him.”

            Gladio?

            The Shield limped from the shadows, black dripping from his form. His greatsword was cracked, broken down until only a few scant inches of its blade remained, but he didn’t hesitate to swing once he got close enough.

            “Ugh, a pest,” Araza grumbled, easily stepping to the side. “How many times am I going to have to break you?”

            One swing, and another, and another, all missing their mark before Araza nimbly hopped up onto a large chunk of debris from the shattered window and kicked the blade from Gladio’s hand, picking the Shield up by the neck and laughing.

            “No sword and no shield. Seems to me you’re done for. Any last words?” he said smugly as Gladio fought for air, perverse and awful.

            “Go to hell,” the Shield smiled as he pulled a dagger from his boot and pushed it through the raven’s ribs before his opponent noticed it was there.

            Araza hissed in pain, but did not release his prey. Instead, his grip tightening as magic pulsed in the air. Gladio gasped, clawing at the ancient’s arm as his life bled out with his air supply. Ignis felt the pull of magic buzz harder as he was pulled in to a vision.

            _Zara. Fire. A tunnel. Ruins. Ravatough._

It cut off as Araza twisted his fingers just so- making the act of breaking a neck seem deceptively easy.

            “He serves perfect to use as an example,” the demon hissed as he dropped the body, his teeth glinting in the night. Ignis was quick to pull Gladio to him. “You needn’t fret, little mortal.” The corpse in Ignis’s embrace stiffened, shuddering away into a puddle of black. “I can’t kill a hostage I do not possess. You’re missing the point.” He turned away, standing in the gaping hole that used to be a stained glass window.

            “Why are you doing this?” Ignis shouted. “For Ardyn? Your own glory? What’s the point?”

            “Everything I have done, I have done for _you_ ,” Araza yelled bitterly, rounding to face him. “Everything I have done, I have done for the sake of _your_ people. Not for the Gods, and certainly not for myself.”

            “This isn’t the right way!”

            “You’re right,” the semi-divine laughed sharply, almost madly. “This isn’t the right way. This was _never_ the right way. You were shown what was meant to happen, what the Gods had planned in order to overpower darkness. But you ignored it. You chose to fight against the will of Divinity and change the path this world is on.”

            “What are you talking about?”

            “Aw, how cute,” Araza spat. “You don’t _remember_. Take one too many trips to the library Ignis? Did it hurt too much to look at your prince and know you were leading him like a sacrificial lamb to the slaughter?”

            “ _What?_ ”

            “He _dies_ Ignis! That’s it- that’s the end.” He pointed to the impaled vision of Noctis on the throne. “Your Prince Charmless has to forfeit his own life to save the world. But saving the world wasn’t reason enough for you to stand fast, no… No, you were _greedy_ , and you were _selfish_ and you still are! You used the gift of knowledge, that I gave you- mind, and used it to shirk your responsibility.”

            “No,” Ignis said, backing away from the angry man slowly. “You’re lying. Noctis can’t… The Gods wouldn’t ask him to.  They aren’t that cruel!”

            “He can and they would. The only sin here that is greater than humanity is the Hexatheon that created them. They designed your species to fail, all because they wanted some entertainment.”

            “I _refuse_ to let them take Noct."

            “Why? Because you genuinely have a better plan? Or just because you _love_ him? _Love_ isn’t going to stop the darkness Ignis! _Love_ isn’t going to change the fact that either Noctis dies, or your entire world ends.”

            “You aren’t being rational or fair.”

            “Life isn’t fair! Because it isn’t about being fair. Life is about standing up and doing what you’re meant to even if it’s hard. Even if it makes you sad and bitter and angry because it is just the _thing you are meant to do_.”

            “Are you trying to convince me?” Ignis asked quietly after a moment, meeting the doppelganger's eyes defiantly. “Or yourself?”

            “I made you a Seer,” Araza said in a deathly soft tone, his eyes going cold and hard. “Yet still you are blind. I cannot force you to change your path, but I will not stand by and watch while you ruin the world. I am no longer He who lies in Wait.”

            The elder of the pair turned his back to him, paused a moment, and then waved his hand. The motion carried magic that Ignis could feel even if he couldn’t see it, driving him to the ground where he lay gasping for breath.

            “Electing you was a mistake the Gods shall not repeat,” Araza murmured, casting him a small glance before moving to the door.

            The last thing Ignis saw was him walking away into the night before everything once again went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iggggggyyyyyyyy *cry forever*
> 
> Sorry about the wait my dudes, I've had some serious writers block with this fic lately.


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